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NEWS ABOUT: Patrick Leahy

Leahy Calls For 'Truth Commission' on Bush Abuses

Republicans say it's a waste of time

(Newser) - Sen. Patrick Leahy called today for a "truth commission" to investigate alleged abuses by the Bush administration in the name of the war on terror, CNN reports. Detention and interrogation practices at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib “have seriously eroded fundamental American principles of the rule of law,"... More »

GOP Questions Put Brakes on Holder Vote

Committee will wait week on AG nominee, infuriating chair Leahy

(Newser) - The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed today’s scheduled vote on Eric Holder’s confirmation by another week, CNN reports. Republican members engineered the move, saying they have questions about the attorney-general nominee’s stance on interrogation techniques. Chairman Patrick Leahy, who said he was “extremely disappointed,” banged down... More »

Republicans Picking a Fight Over Holder

Dems need one GOP vote to move AG pick out of committee

(Newser) - Senate Republicans seem to have settled on attorney-general-designate Eric Holder as their main target for a tough confirmation hearing. Thanks to his liberal leanings and his role in the Clinton administration—especially the controversial 11th-hour Marc Rich pardon—Holder will get a grilling in the Judiciary Committee. Ranking Republican Arlen... More »

GOP: Hold Up on Holder

GOP plans a fight over Obama's AG nominee

(Newser) - Senate Republicans are laying a speed bump on Eric Holder’s route to confirmation as attorney general, Politico reports. Joined by a key Democrat, they're objecting to Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy’s plan to fast track Holder's confirmation, scheduling hearings as early as Jan. 8. Republicans note that more... More »

Lieberman Should Be Punished: Leahy

Dem wants McCain-backing independent stripped of committee chairmanship

(Newser) - Patrick Leahy thinks fellow Sen. Joe Lieberman, after campaigning for John McCain, should no longer occupy the chair of key committees, the Democrat told Vermont Public Radio today. The Connecticut independent currently caucuses with the Democrats, and chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, the Hill notes. Lieberman went... More »

Stevens Corruption Trial Begins

(Newser) - Jury selection began today in the corruption trial of Ted Stevens, the first US senator in over 20 years to face a criminal trial, reports WTUU of Anchorage. The list of 200-plus possible witnesses at the Alaska Republican's trial, in federal court in Washington, DC, includes Colin Powell as well... More »

Senate Grills FBI on Anthrax, Ivins

Lawmakers raise doubts that suspect acted alone

(Newser) - Senators cast strong doubts today on the FBI's conclusion that Bruce Ivins acted alone in the 2001 anthrax scare, reports the Washington Post, with many demanding a more public vetting of the investigation into America’s largest bioterror attack. "There are others out there who should be charged... More »

Probe Finds Bias in Justice Dept. Hiring

Perceived Democratic ties sank applicants for prestigious programs

(Newser) - The Justice Department screened applicants to its internship and recruitment programs for conservative attitudes and credentials, rejecting applicants with liberal-sounding resumes, the Washington Post reports. Today's report by the department’s inspector general details a history of partisan hiring practices beginning in 2002 and concludes that the process "undermined... More »

Guess What Oil Execs Make

Industry bigwigs are grilled by the Senate

(Newser) - Big Oil executives today were grilled by the Senate on soaring prices, and Sen. Patrick Leahy asked for their salaries, the AP reports. Here's what they said:
  • J. Stephen Simon, Exxon: $12.5 millon.
  • John Lowe, ConocoPhillips: Did not recall
  • Peter Robertson, Chevron: Did not recall.
  • John Hofmeister, Shell, $2.
... More »

Fellow Pols Shaken by Kennedy Diagnosis

Colleagues met news with 'stunned silence'

(Newser) - Ted Kennedy's Senate colleagues reacted to news that the lawmaker has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor with "stunned silence," Ben Nelson of Nebraska tells the Hill. "I am having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here when I felt this badly,... More »

Congress Prods Justice Dept. on Secrecy

Dems accuse Mukasey, underlings of stalling on requests

(Newser) - Congress is redoubling its efforts to get info from the Justice Department, the Washington Post reports. Requests for classified documents have languished for as long as 3 years, and the contretemps between Congress and Alberto Gonzales over their disclosure has improved little under the new AG, Michael Mukasey. "We... More »

Obama Nails 10-Point National Lead in Gallup Poll

It's his biggest margin this year

(Newser) - Barack Obama jumped to his largest national lead of the year in a new Gallup poll, pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton 52% to 42%. The figure marks the Illinois senator’s third consecutive lead, and the first double-digit lead since Hillary chalked up a 11% lead over Barack in early... More »

Hillary Says She Won't Drop; Obama Thinks That's OK

She says she'll take her battle all the way to the convention

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton insisted today that she will not drop out of the race early, and Barack Obama thinks that's just fine. Clinton told the Washington Post that she will compete in every primary, then take her fight to the convention in August if necessary. Could any scenario change her mind?... More »

'Ugly, Divided' Party Will Lose, Dean Warns

Dems keep clashing over fallout from primary battle

(Newser) - Democrats continue to clash over the effects of a long and bitter primary race, the New York Times reports. "If we have an ugly, divided convention, we will lose" the November election, said Howard Dean, who has called on superdelegates to decide by July. But Hillary-backer Gov. Tom Vilsack... More »

Leahy Be Damned, Hillary Soldiers On

Clinton has no thoughts of dropping campaign, as Dems wonder about the health of the party

(Newser) - Citing the rights of voters to speak their piece and the “many differing opinions and strong-minded individuals” of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton yesterday reaffirmed her candidacy in the face of senator Patrick Leahy’s call for her end a campaign with “no very good reason” to continue... More »

Leahy to Clinton: You're Out

Influential Democrat wants peace; Dean suggests deadline

(Newser) - Continued sniping with Hillary Clinton is hurting Barack Obama's chances of winning the White House, and "she ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama," Sen. Pat Leahy told Vermont Public Radio in an interview aired today. The harsh assessment coincided with a suggestion from... More »

Pointing Toward March 4, Dems Think Small

Clinton cranks up Vt. effort as Ben & Jerry warm to Obama

(Newser) - With the days when 23 delegates were no big deal a distant memory, Hillary Clinton isn't conceding Vermont to Barack Obama, the Burlington Free Press reports. She has sent three staffers to open a field office in a state where her opponent has seven paid workers, four offices, and the... More »

Hill's Attack Mode Gets Backlash

Many rank-and-filers are rethinking the Clintons

(Newser) - Hillary and Bill Clinton are facing backlash for their aggressive tone toward Barack Obama, as the former First Couple stands accused of conduct unbecoming of party leaders. As the Clinton campaign harps on discredited charges, the Washington Post writes, many neutral Democrats worry the harshness might hurt in the general... More »

New Fed Gun Law Inspired by Virginia Tech Massacre

Congress makes it harder for mentally ill to buy guns

(Newser) - New gun control legislation designed to keep weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill was passed by the Senate yesterday. The rare event of congressional action on gun control—and even rarer bipartisan agreement—was triggered by the Virginia Tech massacre last April. The bill, which strengthens background... More »

Mukasey Tells Congress to Back Off CIA Tapes Inquiry

AG won't divulge investigation details

(Newser) - Michael Mukasey isn't about to open up to Democratic lawmakers who want details of the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into the CIA’s destruction of interrogation tapes, the Washington Post reports. In letters sent today, the new AG also restated his objections to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate,... More »

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