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To: steve harris who wrote (265366)	7/31/2010 12:03:53 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 306849

Holder puts felons over soldiers The Justice Department obstructs military voting rights Wednesday, July 28, 2010 washingtontimes.com Obama Justice Department outrages never cease. The politically charged gang led by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is more interested in helping felons vote than in helping the military to vote. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, has put a legislative hold on the already troubled nomination of James M. Cole to be deputy attorney general until the attorney general ensures full protection for voting rights of our military (and associated civilian personnel) stationed abroad. The senator is right to raise a ruckus. Mr. Cornyn co-authored a 2009 law mandating that states mail absentee ballots to military voters at least 45 days before the election. Yet, as former Justice Department lawyer Eric Eversole first reported in The Washington Times last week, the department seems to be encouraging states to apply for waivers so they won't have to follow that law. More than 17,000 Americans serving overseas were denied the vote in 2008 - but, presumably because military personnel are thought to lean conservative, the liberal Obama administration is in no hurry to correct the situation. The Justice Department is so unenthusiastic about military voting that its website still lists the old requirement for a shorter 30-day military voting window, rather than the current law mandating 45 days. On the other hand, the Justice Department has no legislative mandate whatsoever to involve itself with helping felons to vote, but its website devotes a large section - 2,314 words - to advising felons how to regain voting privileges. As confirmed by The Washington Times last week, Justice Department official Rebecca Wertz told a Feb. 1 conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State that the new law's requirements are somehow open to interpretation. On July 28, an attendee at that conference - heretofore uninterviewed - told The Washington Times that Ms. Wertz's message was "totally undermining" the law. The earlier reports actually underplayed the effect of Ms. Wertz's comments. "It was even more pronounced at the meeting," said the source. "She undermined [the law] right in front of everybody. When I heard what she was saying, I thought: 'You've got to be kidding!' ... It was a clear reversal of roles for Justice to no longer be enforcing the law." After looking at the minutes of that conference, Mr. Cornyn responded forcefully. His office confirmed that he did place the hold on Mr. Cole because of the military voting issue. His July 26 letter to Mr. Holder does not actually mention his hold, but its tone was strong stuff. "The statute does not create any discretion for the Executive Branch to decide whether or not to enforce its legal requirements," the senator wrote. Ms. Wertz's comments "fly in the face of the clear statutory language, undermine the provisions in question and jeopardize the voting rights of our men and women in uniform." The senator laid out a series of four steps he wants Mr. Holder to take to ensure that states respect the 45-day deadline, including a demand that the Justice Department provide a state-by-state accounting of compliance efforts. The hold on Mr. Cole, reportedly a personal friend of Mr. Holder, is sure to grab the attorney general's attention. Our troops deserve his respect.

To: steve harris who wrote (265366)	7/31/2010 3:03:09 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 306849

Democratic Leaders Holding Big Birthday Bash for Crook Rangel Dem leaders plan birthday-bash fundraiser for most famous colleague July 31, 2010 hotair.com What do Democratic Party leaders get for the man who has singlehandedly put a corruption bullseye on the backs of his colleagues in competitive districts and refuses to step aside to give them cover? A birthday party, of course! And not just a birthday party to honor the man who will face the first House ethics trial in eight years, but a fundraiser for his campaign: Democratic leaders and major party donors plan to hold a lavish 80th birthday gala for Charles Rangel at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan next month, despite 13 ethics charges pending against the veteran lawmaker. Lobbyists and other party donors received invitations this week to join Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and New York Gov. David Paterson at one of New York’s finest hotels to celebrate Rangel’s birthday. Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are also listed as featured guests, according to an invitation viewed by The Hill. While some Democrats think Rangel has become politically radioactive in Washington, the invitation lists a variety of enticements to get people to show up to his birthday bash and contribute to his campaign. Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” will serenade them and guests who pony up $200, $500, $1,000 or $2,500 for tickets. The funds will go to the Rangel Victory Fund, a campaign account. With Adam Clayton Powell IV challenging Rangel in the primary, some may wonder why these big-name Democrats are choosing to raise funds for Rangel anyway. Why not let the primary play itself out first? Powell could pull off an upset and get them off the hook for Rangel’s multiple ethics violations and perhaps make the ethics trial moot. The answer is that the money Rangel raises will not just stay with Rangel, although that may be somewhat less true in this cycle. The former chair of Ways and Means has long used his campaign funds to spread the wealth — and spread his influence. He gets Democrats elected in places where they may have had difficulty by dropping big transfers of cash into their coffers. Once they get elected, Rangel has IOUs that he can call in whenever he needs. Basically, Schumer, Gillibrand, Cuomo, and Bloomberg are using Rangel to push money out to other Democrats as well as trying to rescue Charlie from himself. That’s something that voters should consider when these candidates run in their own elections. When it came down to it, they’re more interested in the money than in cleaning out corruption. Oh, and the best part? As The Hill points out, Rangel’s birthday is actually June 11th, while this fundraiser is being held on August 11th. 2.bp.blogspot.com

To: steve harris who wrote (265366)	7/31/2010 3:13:40 PM
From: joseffy	Respond to of 306849

NY Carpenters Union Boss Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Ex-Leader of Carpenters Union Pleads Guilty to Racketeering July 28, 2010 nytimes.com After years of fighting criminal charges, the former head of the union that represents carpenters in New York City pleaded guilty on Wednesday to taking part in a racketeering scheme stretching back over a decade, the authorities said. The former leader, Michael J. Forde, was accused along with nine other union officials and contractors of stealing millions of dollars from the union and its benefit funds. The men were named last year in a 29-count indictment that charged that in exchange for bribes, Mr. Forde and the others allowed contractors to pay union members cash wages below union scale with no benefits, to hire illegal and nonunion workers, and to skip benefit contributions. Mr. Forde had been tried twice before on state bribery charges dating to 2000. His first trial resulted in a conviction that was later overturned. His second trial ended in an acquittal. But on Wednesday, Mr. Forde became the eighth person in the latest case to plead guilty. Federal officials announced in New York that Mr. Forde had pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering and another count of racketeering conspiracy, charges that each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.