"What did he hide, and where did he hide it?" Ya gotta love it! :>)
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Dean's X-Files
By Al Kamen
Washington Post
Friday, December 5, 2003; Page A29
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has been taking heat from Republicans for refusing to unseal his files as governor of Vermont. Some of the files are to remain sealed for as many as 10 years under a deal he negotiated when he left office last year.
Dean attempted to deflect by saying he'd open up his files if President Bush would open his gubernatorial files. Problem is, Bush's files are for the most part open to the public. So now Dean says he probably won't make a decision about opening them before the 2004 election.
But, really, what could be in the files that's so important to anyone? Well, there's a letter he wrote to Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.) in June 1997 supporting a bill aimed at limiting the ability of Indian tribes' businesses to escape some state and local taxes.
In his letter, Dean told Istook, "Although Vermont does not have any Indian land, we lose tax revenues from sales made from Indian lands near our borders. It would be extremely unfortunate if the problem were allowed to grow. I will be pleased to lend my support to this bill."
Dean may be displeased these days, because the National Congress of American Indians succeeded in killing Istook's efforts, calling the proposal "unjust and unnecessary." Dean and other candidates pitched for Native American votes at an NCAI meeting in Albuquerque, with Dean pledging that he would support casino gambling for federally recognized tribes.
Wonder if he feels the same now about Istook's bill.
Out of Bounds, Out of Luck
The old phrase "close enough for government work" apparently no longer applies. Take the case of OnTrack Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment organization in Medford, Ore., that had applied for grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services.
OnTrack, which had received grants over the years from SAMHSA, asked for $600,000 a year for two programs -- one for teen alcohol and drug prevention and another for pregnant women.
Not this time, SAMHSA application reviewer Diane McMenamin wrote back. And why?
"Your application has been examined by review staff from the Division of Extramural Program Management," she wrote, "and was judged to be non-conforming for the following reason: (1) Your application does not conform to the instructions for format as stated in Part II of the [grant application form] in that applications have 'conventional border margins of 1 inch.' "
These applications used the same computer program earlier ones used, but someone at SAMHSA may have measured and found a forbidden margin encroachment of about two typewriter letters, we're told.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has asked HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson to look into this. "Frankly, I do not see the connection between one-inch margins and effective drug and alcohol treatment," Wyden wrote.
Maybe this is what they mean by "margin of error?"
State Tries to Clean Up Its Act
The once and always pinstriped set? The State Department is taking a dim view of "casual wear" on the job, not to mention "flip-flops and halter tops/bare midriffs." These are "not acceptable" State said in a Nov. 26 Department Notice.
Employees must "project competence and professionalism," according to the new "Guidelines on Appropriate Dress."
People should be "neat and businesslike in appearance," the notice says, and supervisors must "counsel employees whose hygiene, grooming or dress is inappropriate or results in disruption in the workplace."
Early versions apparently included bans on jeans and T-shirts. (The drafters obviously hadn't been to the $1,000 Prada pantsuit Web site recently to see all the pricey T-shirts.) So no Britney Spears outfits. And only formal guayaberas for the guys.
Cheap Thrill for Democrats
Democrats were chortling yesterday over a successful "Google bombing." Basically, what happened was someone tricked the Google search engine to go to the White House Web site whenever anyone searches on the words "miserable failure." If they then click on the "I'm Feeling Lucky" search key, they are taken to the official White House page featuring a photo and biography of the 43rd president.
Is this as good as a Supreme Court vote?
TSA Gets New Acting Chief
Former Navy Adm. David Stone is to be acting administrator of the Transportation Security Administration until the White House finds a permanent leader of the young agency in charge of air security.
Stone, formerly deputy chief of staff of the TSA and security director at Los Angeles International Airport, replaces James M. Loy, who was sworn in yesterday to serve as the No. 2 official at the Department of Homeland Security.
Stone has become a rising star within the TSA, The Washington Post's Sara Kehaulani Goo reports, first overseeing the nation's third-largest airport meet a tough deadline to screen luggage for explosives and later as the agency's key liaison on Capitol Hill.
Industry leaders had worried that TSA Deputy Administrator Stephen J. McHale would get the top spot at TSA, feeling his relations with lawmakers, airline and airport groups left a bit to be desired. An administration official said McHale was not interested in the top TSA position.
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