Friends and supporters have established a legal defense fund for former attorney general Alberto R. Gonzales, who is still facing “an ongoing Justice Department investigation into whether” he “committed perjury or improperly tampered with a congressional witness.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is “considering” pro forma sessions during Thanksgiving break to stop President Bush from using the break to install any of his outstanding executive branch nominees.” Controversial Surgeon General nominee Dr. James Holsinger expects a recess appointment.
The Government Accountability Office reports government investigators “smuggled liquid explosives and detonators through airport checkpoints, exposing dangerous vulnerabilities in security efforts.” “Our tests clearly demonstrate that a terrorist group, using publicly available information and a few resources, could cause severe damage to an airplane and threaten the safety of passengers,” the report states.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett urged Congress yesterday to maintain the estate tax, “saying that plans to repeal the tax would benefit a handful of the richest American families and widen income disparity in the United States.” Buffet said it would be more appropriate to call the “death tax” a “death present” for the wealthy.
Conservative activists gathered yesterday “for two days of plotting to advance a small-government agenda.” “Our guys are feeling a lot of frustration right now,” said former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) was treated as “a rock star” at the gathering.
John Podesta, Lawrence Korb, and Brian Katulis warn of “strategic drift” in the Washington Post. “Progressives must be careful not to repeat the mistakes made in 2002 and 2004, when they failed to offer a clear challenge or choice on Iraq,” they write.
“The president of the Iraqi bar association hand-delivered a letter” to House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) Wednesday “calling for better treatment of detainees in Iraq and criticizing the U.S. government for not doing enough to build Iraq’s legal system.”
“In his second day on the job, Attorney General Michael Mukasey leaped into the political fray,” telling Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) that he opposes his electronic surveillance plan and would recommend the president veto it if it is passed.”
“House Democrats are hoping changes they made to a bill to expand court oversight of government surveillance inside the United States will find enough support to win passage on a second try.”
And finally: One in five New York University students said they’d swap their right to vote for an iPod touch. “66 percent said they’d forfeit their vote for a free ride to NYU. And half said they’d give up the right to vote forever for $1 million.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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