Democracy

Congresspedia’s “Congress in the News” updates, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2006

by Conor Kenny — December 19, 2006 - 11:07am

Topics: Congresspedia News Updates, U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) announced that he will resign from the Republican leadership at the end of the 109th Congress. (Time story)

Rep.

Old Scandals Never Die: The Troubles of Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)

by Conor Kenny — December 18, 2006 - 6:45pm

Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

Three weeks ago, House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that neither Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) nor Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) would be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the 110th Congress. The elephant in the room during the weeks of intense speculation before the announcement was Hastings' controversial past.

To properly address the controversy surrounding Hastings, we must go all the way back to 1981; the year Jimmy Carter left the White House and Sandra Day O’Connor was nominated to the Supreme Court. In that year, Hastings, serving as a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida (he was first appointed in 1979), was indicted for soliciting a bribe from two defendants convicted of robbery in his court. Specifically, the alleged briber promised Hastings $150,000 if he kept the defendants out of prison and returned to them the funds they stole. The prosecution’s key piece of evidence was a transcript from a phone conversation (obtained through a wiretap) between Hastings and his alleged co-conspirator, William Borders. Hastings is heard saying:

"I've drafted all those ah, ah, letters, ah, for him, and everything's okay. The only thing I was concerned with was, did you hear if, ah, hear from him after we talked?"

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) in Critical Condition; Senate Majority Potentially at Stake

by Conor Kenny — December 14, 2006 - 12:55pm

Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, Politics, U.S. Government

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is recovering from surgery at George Washington University Hospital to stop bleeding in his brain caused by an arteriovenous malformation, a condition which causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large. Johnson's condition was described as "critical" by hospital officials early this morning.

Election 2006: Democrats Extend Their Majority with Victory in Texas-23

by Conor Kenny — December 13, 2006 - 6:35pm

Topics: Election 2006, U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

In a runoff election held yesterday in Texas’s 23rd District, former Democratic Rep. Ciro Rodriguez defeated incumbent Rep.

Election 2006: Scandal-Plagued Rep. William Jefferson Keeps Seat

by Conor Kenny — December 11, 2006 - 5:00pm

Topics: Election 2006, U.S. Congress, Democracy, Politics, U.S. Government

On Saturday, Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) defeated Democratic challenger Karen Carter in a runoff election, 57%-43%, to keep his seat in Louisiana's 2nd District.

Chilean Dictator Pinochet Lied Through His Eyes

by Jonathan Rosenblum — December 11, 2006 - 3:46pm

General Augusto Pinochet, 91, died on December 10, 2006, after nearly a decade of fighting prosecution on charges of gross violations of human rights. The charges stemmed from murders, tortures and disappearances of thousands of Chilean and other opponents during his 1974-1990 rule. In one of the general's most enduring images, he posed for a photograph in which he set a stark, sinister image behind sunglasses after a coup against the elected president Salvador Allende.

Main Source:

Associated Press, December 11, 2006

Will the new Congress try to impeach President Bush? Could a state?

by Conor Kenny — November 30, 2006 - 3:30pm

Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

After decisive Democratic victories in the recent congressional elections, some speculated that the party may seek to impeach President Bush from office, as the Republican Congress did to Bill Clinton in 1998. After all, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced a resolution late in 2005 (which now has 38 co-sponsors) authorizing a special House committee to investigate the administration on a number of matters and possibly make a recommendation for impeachment. Following the elections, however, Conyers echoed the sentiments of Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), insisting that impeachment is now “off the table” in the 110th Congress. Conyers' office has separately confirmed to Congresspedia that he has no intention to reintroduce his bill in the new session of Congress.

Specifically, Conyers' resolution would have investigated the administration's:

Taxation Without Representation: Are Voting Rights Finally Coming to the Nation's Capital?

by Conor Kenny — November 28, 2006 - 7:30pm

Topics: U.S. Congress, Democracy, Politics, U.S. Government

Earlier this month, voters from the 50 U.S. states shaped the composition of the 110th Congress at the polls. Unable to join them were the 388,000 registered voters who call the District of Columbia home.

Book Ban Backfires

by Bob Burton — November 23, 2006 - 5:59am

The leader of the New Zealand National Party, Don Brash, has resigned in the wake of a party backlash over his attempt to ban a book by investigative journalist Nicky Hager. Last week Brash gained an injunction from the High Court of New Zealand banning anyone in the country from publishing the content of his emails. Hager's book, The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception, was set to be released last Tuesday but was blocked by the injunction.

Main Source:

New Zealand Herald, November 23, 2006

New Zealand Opposition Leader Retreats From Banning Book

by Bob Burton — November 22, 2006 - 4:30am

The Leader of the New Zealand National Party, Don Bracks, has indicated that he may clear the way for the publication of a book by investigative journalist Nicky Hager, despite having obtained an injunction last Friday banning anyone from publishing the contents of leaked internal party emails.

Main Source:

TV New Zealand, November 22, 2006