Second Set Of 25 Current Events

Front 1

“Delay Voices Confidence of Vindication.” Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050504/us_nm/congress_delay_dc_3>.

Back 1

One of those trips took place a few years back and was funded by the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council. Just days before DeLay departed, it registered as a foreign agent. DeLay said he was unaware of the registration. So did others in Congress who took trips funded by the council.

Front 2

“Delay Voices Confidence of Vindication.” Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050504/us_nm/congress_delay_dc_3>.

Back 2

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record) of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic campaign committee, which has made DeLay a top target in next year's congressional elections largely because of the ethics questions swirling around the him, proposed legislation on Wednesday to toughen lobbying laws.

Front 3

“Delay Voices Confidence of Vindication.” Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050504/us_nm/congress_delay_dc_3>.

Back 3

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said earlier on Wednesday that he has asked ethics committee chairman Doc Hastings, a Washington state Republican, to give members more guidance on "what's acceptable" for travel.

The ethics committee arranged to meet on Wednesday to begin its work for the year after resolution of an impasse over new investigative rules that had prevented it from operating.

The Republican-led House last week rescinded those rules, which Democrats had charged were designed to protect DeLay and would have made it more difficult to investigate any member.

The 10-member panel -- five Democrats and five Republicans -- is expected to soon begin an inquiry into some of DeLay's foreign travel.

Front 4

Larry Margasak."Two on Ethics Panel Won't Probe DeLay". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/house_ethics_4>.

Back 4

DeLay, R-Texas, has asked the committee to review his travel records and said he would turn over a decade's worth of documents to the committee. DeLay also has asked to appear before the committee.

Before a deal on the committee's investigative rules, Hastings, R-Wash., had offered to begin a formal investigation of DeLay. But it is expected that any inquiry at this point would begin with a preliminary review before a formal investigation.

Front 5

Larry Margasak."Two on Ethics Panel Won't Probe DeLay". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/house_ethics_4>.

Back 5

The withdrawal of Smith and Cole from the case would lead Hastings to ask House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to designate two House members to fill in temporarily in any investigation of DeLay. The House will have a 20-member pool, 10 members from each party, to allow the speaker to chose temporary committee members.

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that lobbyist Jack Abramoff initially paid travel expenses for DeLay and some of his aides as well as for some Democratic lawmakers.

While House members and employees are barred from accepting trip expenses from lobbyists, DeLay and others said they were not aware that Abramoff was paying the bill.

Abramoff, who had ties with numerous members of Congress and DeLay, is now under federal investigation for his representation of Indian tribes with casinos.

Front 6

Larry Margasak."Two on Ethics Panel Won't Probe DeLay". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/house_ethics_4>.

Back 6

DeLay told reporters on Wednesday that he would prefer that the committee "set up a process by which a member can go to them and submit a proposed invitation on a trip — whether it be foreign or domestic — and the ethics committee approve or disapprove it."

"Then everybody knows what is proper and isn't proper. I think that is the best way to go. I'm not suggesting that. I'm not pushing it. I'm asking the ethics committee to look at this as a problem for the institution," DeLay said.

Hastert added, "I think there needs to be real guidance by the committee about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable." I think we're going to take a look at it."

Also Wednesday, a former Democratic congressman said he will try to win DeLay's congressional seat. Nick Lampson represented an adjacent district until the redrawing of political boundaries that DeLay engineered cost Lampson enough Democratic voters that he lost to Republican Ted Poe in 2004.

Front 7

Wendy Benjaminson. "Lampson to Challenge Delay for Texas Seat". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/delay_democrats_1>.

Back 7

A former Democratic congressman announced Wednesday that he will try to win the seat held by Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who has been hounded by allegations of ethics violations.

Front 8

Wendy Benjaminson. "Lampson to Challenge Delay for Texas Seat". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/delay_democrats_1>.

Back 8

Although Lampson peppered his remarks with comments about an ethics controversy DeLay is facing, he claimed he would focus on his record from four terms in Congress and his knowledge of the district's needs.

"This shouldn't be a shouting match between who's right and who's left," he said. "I believe others are going to be shouting."

Lampson said he has begun to raise money from Republicans and Democrats for what he estimates will be a $5 million campaign.

National Democrats have long ignored the district, but questions about DeLay's fundraising techniques and lobbyist-financed travel have sparked interest in the 2006 race.

Front 9

Wendy Benjaminson. "Lampson to Challenge Delay for Texas Seat". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_go_co/delay_democrats_1>.

Back 9

Also considering a run for the Democratic nomination is Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan, a Chinese-American immigration lawyer who hopes to capitalize on the district's growing Asian population. Quan also did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Front 10

Kevin Leahy. "Keep the filibuster in the Senate". May 4 2004. StarNews May 4 2005 <http://www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=10522>.

Back 10

In Washington right now, a debate rages over whether America will retain the independent judiciary crucial to our democracy.

Over the past few years, President Bush and the Republican Congress have been at odds with federal judges. For instance, one judge recently overturned the president’s ability to hold terror suspects indefinitely without charging them; another allowed Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube to be removed. In return, many Republicans have railed against such decisions as "judicial activism" and bemoaned what they see as "legislating from the bench." Popular televangelist Pat Robertson claimed on Sunday that federal judges are a greater threat to America than Nazi Germany was.

As a matter of fact, the judges in both cases were acting in accordance with the law.

Front 11

Kevin Leahy. "Keep the filibuster in the Senate". Star News May 4 2004. May 4 2005 <http://www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=10522>.

Back 11

Consequently, Republican lawmakers are threatening to change the Senate’s rules so they can install the far right-wing judges that they and the president want; they propose to do so by eliminating a senatorial procedure known as the filibuster. Not content with the 198 judges that Bush has already appointed, Republican leaders are threatening to use the so-called "nuclear option" to force through the seven judicial nominees that Democrats have blocked by using the threat of filibuster.

Front 12

Jody Brown. "Dobson, Others Call for Grassroots Push for Filibuster's End". Yahoo!News May 4 2005. May 4 2005 <http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1328184.html>.

Back 12

Two national pro-family leaders are labeling a group of Republican senators on Capitol Hill as "squishy" when it comes to the issue of whether to stand against the Democratic-led filibuster of President Bush's conservative judicial nominees. Both Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Don Wildmon say they intend to do all they can to force those senators to let their constituents know where they stand.

Front 13

Jody Brown. "Dobson, Others Call for Grassroots Push for Filibuster's End". Yahoo!News May 4 2005. May 4 2005 <http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1328184.html>.

Back 13

Since Congress reconvened in January, Republican leaders in the Senate have been considering how best to counter the ongoing filibuster against Bush's nominees -- several of whom have been criticized for their "deeply held beliefs," a veiled attack against conservative Christian convictions. Prominent among those plans is forcing a change in Senate rules that would do away with the requirement for 60 votes to terminate a filibuster and allow a vote -- sometimes dubbed the "constitutional option" or the "nuclear option."

Front 14

Kevin Leahy. "Keep the filibuster in the Senate". Star News May 4 2004. May 4 2005 <http://www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=10522>.

Back 14

The "nuclear option" - which many Republican lawmakers have hastily taken to calling the "Constitutional option" in recent days, because it makes them look less like power-mad crazies - would eliminate the ability of the Democrats to interrupt the Senate’s business and force bipartisan compromise. Essentially, once the filibuster is gone, the minority party in the Senate will have no power, turning the Senate into a rubber stamp for the majority party, be they Democrat or Republican.

Front 15

"Pope Benedict XVI warns against temptation so fhte 'easy life'". Yahoo!News 4 May 2005. 4 May 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050504/en_afp/vaticanpopeaudience_050504131312>.

Back 15

He briefly abandoned written comments on a psalm on God's "protective shade" to talk about the "temptations" of the "easy life" and of "power and prestige", which in the view of Christianity move people away from "real life".

As he had earlier indicated, the 78-year-old pope, inaugurated on April 24, has decided for his first general audiences to take up texts prepared by his predecessor John Paul II.

Benedict XVI had appeared shy during his first public appearances, but on this occasion he lingered among the 13,000 faithful gathered in the square, following the example of John Paul II.

He arrived in an open vehicle to enthusiastic applause and spent several minutes blessing disabled people, young married couples and seminarians. He kissed babies and allowed his hand to be grabbed by enthusiastic devotees, under the watchful eyes of his bodyguards

Front 16

Dave George. "NBA PLAYOFFS: These are the lazy days, my friend". Cox News 4 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/11557267.htm>.

Back 16

Miami and Phoenix are taking a week off, smack dab in the middle of the NBA playoffs.

Such is the lazy pace of championship play in a league that won't even inflate its basketballs without first consulting the various television executives to which the post-season schedule has been sold.

June 23, that's the latest possible day that Game 7 of the NBA Finals could be played this year. April 23 is when the playoffs began. That's a potential run of 62 days required to play all the commercials, promote all the network programming and, oh, yeah, to crown a champion, too.

It's all stops and starts, an endless conga line of 7-footers that stretches hoop season all the way into hurricane season. So now we wait and wonder about the necessity of sweating out the NBA playoffs over a potential 62 days.

Front 17

Dave George. "NBA PLAYOFFS: These are the lazy days, my friend". Cox News 4 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/11557267.htm>.

Back 17

That's longer, if you think about it, than it took Thomas Jefferson to scratch out the Declaration of Independence, and he was using a quill pen.

Longer than it took the Apollo 11 crew to make the commute to the moon, bag up a load of rocks and hustle back home, and they were using pea-brained computers no kindergartner would tolerate today.

Longer than Joe DiMaggio needed to hit safely in 56 consecutive games, the most timeless of achievements.

Longer than Lisa Marie Presley spent denying she was married to Michael Jackson, the most clueless of human endeavors.

Front 18

Dave George. "NBA PLAYOFFS: These are the lazy days, my friend". Cox News 4 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/11557267.htm>.

Back 18

Longer, by far, than the entire William Henry Harrison administration. He lived only one month after catching a bad cold on Inauguration Day 1841, leaving his important papers to be showcased on the stately grounds of the Harrison Presidential File Cabinet.

Longer, almost, than it took Christopher Columbus to float all the way off the map and into the Bahamas. In two months' time he crossed the ocean blue, a voyage of discovery to rival Ricky Williams' worldwide weed tour for sheer nerve.

Front 19

"Pope Benedict XCI is Featured in the Newest LImited Edition Trading Cards by Paradigm Trading Cards". Yahoo!News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050505/lath124.html?.v=3>.

Back 19

"The New Pope trading cards are a response to our customers. Both our retail outlets and our customers have been asking for Benedict XVI trading cards since the day we released our Pope John Paul II set," said Mark Currier, President of Paradigm Trading Cards. "People around the world want to learn more about Benedict XVI. What better way could there be for young people to learn about the new Pope. Trading cards have been educational in nature since they where first produced."

Front 20

"Pope Benedict XCI is Featured in the Newest LImited Edition Trading Cards by Paradigm Trading Cards". Yahoo!News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050505/lath124.html?.v=3>.

Back 20

This is a limited production run. The sets will be produced for the next six months. On November 15, 2005 the printing plates will be destroyed and the sets will never be produced again. Each trading card set has an Official Certificate of Authenticity.

Front 21

Jim Malone. "Possible Senate Impasse Looms Over Filibuster Threat". VOA News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-05-05-voa60.cfm>.

Back 21

The word filibuster has its roots in Dutch and Spanish and basically is a reference to a pirate or a freebooter, a term from the 19th Century.

In modern times, the filibuster has come to mean a parliamentary tactic of extended debate and delay intended to block either controversial legislation or a controversial nominee opposed by senators in the minority party.

Front 22

Jim Malone. "Possible Senate Impasse Looms Over Filibuster Threat". VOA News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-05-05-voa60.cfm>.

Back 22

The classic Senate filibuster was depicted in the 1939 film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which starred actor Jimmy Stewart as an idealistic senator who refused to stop speaking on the Senate floor until his corrupt opponents surrendered.

"I had some pretty good coaching last night and I find that if I yield only for a question or a point of order or personal privilege that I can hold this floor almost until Doomsday," Mr. Stewart says in the movie. "In other words, I have got a piece to speak and blow hot or cold, I am going to speak it."

Filibusters were relatively rare in the 19th Century and usually dealt with the issue of slavery. Southern senators often used the filibuster in the 20th Century to block civil rights legislation.

The longest filibuster on record by one senator took place in 1957 when Strom Thurmond of South Carolina spoke for more than 24 hours straight in opposition to a civil rights bill.

Front 23

Jim Malone. "Possible Senate Impasse Looms Over Filibuster Threat". VOA News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-05-05-voa60.cfm>.

Back 23

The filibuster has become an issue again because Democrats have threatened to use it to block some of President Bush's nominees for federal judges.

"They deserve an up or down vote. I think for the sake of fairness, these good people I have nominated should get a vote," Mr. Bush said.

Republicans control 55 seats in the 100-member Senate. But under Senate rules it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster and proceed to a final vote. Republicans are threatening to change the rules so that they can end filibusters by a simple majority vote, something that has enraged the Democratic minority in the Senate.

"The Senate will change if the Republicans insist on breaking the Senate rules to change the Senate rules in the middle of the game, if they assault the principle of checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution, and if they say that the president should have every nominee, even the most extreme radical, right nominee, we are in for a battle that will change the face of the Senate," said Senator Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois.

Front 24

Jim Malone. "Possible Senate Impasse Looms Over Filibuster Threat". VOA News 5 May 2005. 5 May 2005 <http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-05-05-voa60.cfm>.

Back 24

Norman Ornstein is a longtime observer of Congress at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. He says any weakening of the minority's right to filibuster or block controversial legislation or nominees would have a profound impact on the way the Senate does business.

"The essential character of the Senate in a system, a republican form of democracy, trying to avoid the emotions of the majority, is to provide some outlet for minorities of one sort or the other," Mr. Ornstein said. "Change that and you really do move to the potential tyranny of the majority."

But many Republicans believe Democrats are abusing the right to filibuster by blocking 10 of 45 federal appeals court judges nominated by President Bush.

Congressman Steve King is a Republican from Iowa who believes opposition Democrats are thwarting the will of the people by blocking judicial nominees who would easily win a majority confirmation vote in the Senate.

"This is unprecedented to have judges who have been appointed by a president, many for the whole first term of his presidency, almost four years some of them have hung on the vine [waited for a confirmation vote] with the majority votes [in their favor] there on the floor of the Senate, but blocked up because of an unprecedented use of a term that is used in the Senate, a Senate rule that is not in our Constitution, the filibuster," Mr. King said.

Front 25

"Bush Defends Nominee for United Nations". Yahoo!News 28 April 2005. 5 April 2005 <http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050429/pl_afp/usunboltonbush_050429014257>.

Back 25

But he added: "On the other hand, the United Nations has had some problems that we've all seen. And if we expect the United Nations to be effective, it needs to clean up its problems. And I think it makes sense to have somebody representing the United States who will be straightforward about the issues."

When asked about the accusations against Bolton, Bush said he had asked Bolton about his attitude to the world body during an interview at the White House.

"I said: 'Before I send you up there to the Senate, let me ask you something: Do you think the United Nations is important?' See I didn't want to send somebody up there who said 'well, that's not worth a darn. I don't think I need to go'.

"He said: 'No, it's important, but it needs to be reformed.' And I think the United Nations is important."