http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/ee/index.php en editor@TheRochesterDemocrat.com Copyright 2008 2008-07-05T13:05:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/memo_touts_disrupting_transport_for_the_rnc/ {summary} Conventions An anarchist group claims it has plans that will help it create chaos at the convention.


By JENNA ROSS and LORA PABST,
Star Tribune staff writers
July 4, 2008


An anarchist group claims it has official transportation plans that will help it immobilize the Republication National Convention, in St. Paul this September.

But police say they're not worried about the leaked document, which maps delegate routes to and from the Xcel Energy Center.

Pete Panos, St. Paul police spokesman, said officials aren't sure the March 5 document is authentic.

"It's not a document we're using," he said. "Anything put out now is going to be a working document."

Moreover, Panos, said the posted document contains mostly "common sense stuff."

"Are we using buses? Yes," he said. "Are we going to let the anarchists block the roads? No."

The self-described anarchist group calls itself the RNC Welcoming Committee.

The group provided a link to the "handy" document on its website Thursday and said that the information came "straight from the convention planners themselves."

Much of the document, posted on the Indymedia.org website, details where buses would be staged, loaded, routed and returned. It includes maps and numbers of passengers.

The RNC Welcoming Committee plans to block traffic and keep delegates from getting to the convention using strategies described on its site:

"Tier One" calls for creating 15 to 20 blockades -- "an inner and outer ring around St. Paul's Excel Center, where the RNC is to take place."

"Tier Two" is to "immobilize the delegates' transportation infrastructure, including the buses that are to convey them."

A response to an e-mail request for an interview said the group "will likely put out a statement about this issue by Monday after having had time to address it as a full group.

"Because we operate with consensus process and value our message over individual spokespeople, we rarely do individual interviews," the e-mail continues.

RNC spokesman Matt Burns declined to comment on the document's origins or how it was leaked. "We are confident we'll have a safe and successful convention," he said by e-mail Friday.

Panos separated the RNC Welcoming Committee group from others planning to protest the RNC, saying the police are working to make sure "legitimate, peaceful protesters" will have a voice.


]]> 2008-07-05T13:05:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/franken_tries_the_switch_from_comic_to_congress/ {summary} U.S. HOUSE



WASHINGTON (AP) - Moving from celebrity to senator isn't exactly an untraveled path. But that doesn't mean comedian Al Franken, who is vying for a Senate seat in Minnesota, will coast to Capitol Hill on a wide, smooth road.

Franken, a Democrat, best-selling author and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, once penned a racy piece for Playboy that has offended the Midwestern sensibilities of some Minnesotans. It is that history as a satirist and comedian, Franken says, that puts him "in a little uncharted territory" as he tries to woo voters.

At his nomination speech a few weeks ago, Franken acknowledged that some of his past writings and comments were "downright offensive."

"There were some things that I said that gave some people reason to believe I wouldn't fight for all Minnesotans, specifically for women," Franken said in a telephone interview. "I said I was sorry for that, 'cause that's not who I am."

If he can overcome his past, colorful commentary, Franken would join a long list of entertainers who have found a second or third career in elected office, most notably former President Reagan. They include:

_Helen Gahagan Douglas, a 1930s actress and opera singer who was a Democratic congresswoman before losing the 1950 California Senate race to Richard Nixon in a landslide. In that race, the future president called her "pink right down to her underwear" and earned the nickname "Tricky Dick."

_Tough-guy actor and director Clint Eastwood, who became mayor of Carmel, Calif.

_Fred Grandy, Gopher on the TV show "The Love Boat," who became a Republican congressman from Iowa.

_Sonny Bono, of "Sonny and Cher" fame, a Republican who became mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., and then a California congressman.

_Ben Jones, who played the mechanic Cooter on the TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard" before winning a congressional seat from Georgia as a Democrat.

_Jesse Ventura, a professional wrestler and actor who served one term as Reform Party governor of Minnesota.

_Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, now Republican governor of California.

_Song-and-dance actor George Murphy, a Republican senator from California in the 1960s.

_Fred Thompson, a congressional staffer who became an actor and then a Republican senator from Tennessee and presidential candidate.

Also, actor Sonny Landham, who appeared in "48 Hours" and "Predator," is mounting a Libertarian challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Not all entertainers have been able to make the switch. In 1967, former child actress Shirley Temple Black, a California Republican, stressed to voters, "Little Shirley Temple is not running," but lost the congressional election anyway. The little curly haired girl went on to serve as U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

Entertainment is good preparation for politics, said Rep. John Hall, a New York Democrat who had been frontman for the band Orleans (big hit "Still the One").

"The advantage to being a performer is that I've always been the product - I'm used to getting up in front of people and selling myself and my ideas," he said. "They may be musical or lyrical ideas, but they're ideas nonetheless."

But some of Franken's writings are a little stronger than, say, "You're still the one I want to talk to in bed," and Franken's Republican opponent, Sen. Norm Coleman, has highlighted the "Porn-O-Rama!" column Franken wrote for Playboy in 2000.

"Eight years ago I was making the streets of St. Paul safer," said Coleman, the city's former mayor, "and he was writing porn."

When Reagan ran for governor of California in 1966, his Democratic opponent, Gov. Pat Brown, also ridiculed Reagan's past career.

"While we've been building a dynamic working society in California, he was off making such film epics as 'Bedtime for Bonzo' and 'Tugboat Annie Sails Again,'" Brown said. But the strategy didn't work; Reagan won in a landslide.

By the time Reagan mounted his first successful presidential bid in 1980, he was invoking "Bedtime for Bonzo" - which featured Reagan and a chimpanzee. Responding to hecklers at a campaign event, he said, "A little while ago they were calling out 'Bonzo.' They'd better be careful. Bonzo grew up to be King Kong."

Reagan biographer Lou Cannon said Franken has a bigger credibility hurdle to clear than Reagan did.

"Franken is a comedian, who writes these outrageous lines and books," he said. "Reagan had most recently been host of the very dignified GE Theater. I also think that Minnesota is a different political culture than California, which was welcoming to stars."

Still, Franken wouldn't be the first entertainer to win in Minnesota; the state elected Ventura governor in 1998.

Ventura said he was on a flight with Franken a couple of years ago and warned him: "If you have any ghosts in your closet, get ready, because they're going to be splattered all over the front page of the world."

"It's a shame," added Ventura, who says he's considering running against Franken and Coleman as an independent. "Take my opinion on his Playboy article - it's irrelevant. He was asked to do a job, he's a writer, whatever it is he does. I more worry about how he will govern."

Ventura said his own celebrity status had been a boon in the '98 campaign - "you're already a household word, so you don't have to purchase that."

Grandy had a similar take. He said his previous career on "The Love Boat" was a "secret weapon," because people thought it would be a disadvantage. In fact, it provided instant name recognition.

"It's better to start with a negative impression than none at all, because you can always turn that around," Grandy said.

He said he didn't have much show business baggage, having been on a "fairly white bread show. There was really not much there that you could call salacious or controversial."

]]> 2008-07-05T12:02:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/twin_fires_raging_along_california_central_coast/ {summary} Our Violent Planet


BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) - Weary firefighters got no Independence Day reprieve from a pair of out-of-control wildfires that roared along California's central coast, chewing through opposite ends of an arid forest in the Los Padres National Forest.

Despite cooler temperatures and light winds, flames from the stubborn fire that forced the evacuation of Big Sur inched closer to historic vacation retreats. Meanwhile, firefighters farther south dealt with winds with speeds up to 40 mph that fanned a wildfire in Santa Barbara County.

About 5,000 homes there were under evacuation orders, while residents in 1,400 homes were warned to pack up and be ready to leave on short notice, said county spokesman Jim McClure.

"The fire is expanding and presenting some very complex challenges because of the terrain and the fact that it hasn't burned in over 50 years," Capt. Eli Iskow of the Santa Barbara County fire department said. "And it's close to all the valuables like homes and people."

Meanwhile, Big Sur remained eerily empty under a thick blanket of fog and smoke at the start of the long holiday weekend. No more properties were lost, but the density of the parched terrain allowed nearly two-week-old wildfire to keep advancing on the storied tourist town, where flames were making their way toward scenic Highway 1 and sending forest creatures running toward the Pacific Ocean for cover.

Hundreds of firefighters lit controlled fires along Highway 1 in a final effort to stop the Big Sur fire from crossing the highway where many more homes and businesses are located.

"We're fighting the fire on our terms," said U.S. Forest Service fire engineer Hector Sanchez. "We're lighting it slowly, and if we see it get out of hand we'll slow it down. It's perfect conditions, we don't have winds and we have cool temperatures."

The Big Sur fire was still 5 percent contained and had consumed more than 107 square miles and 20 homes, while the Goleta fire was 14 percent contained and had destroyed about a half-dozen out buildings and more than 10 square miles.

The Los Padres blazes were two of 335 active wildfires burning in California, down from a peak of roughly 1,500 fires a few days ago, but they were commanding the greatest share of equipment and personnel because of their locations near populated areas, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"Any time we have structures threatened and lives at risk, it's a top priority," he said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered another 200 National Guard troops to report for firefighter training at a former Air Force base in Sacramento and then working a fire in Mendocino County early next week. When they complete the training, they will join 200 National Guard soldiers who already were deployed to build fire lines. More than 19,000 people were working to control blazes throughout the state.

"These additional soldiers will bring much needed assistance to the efforts of the firefighters who continue to tirelessly battle the blazes across California," Schwarzenegger said.

Since a series of dry lightning strikes ignited more than 1,500 wildfires across central and Northern California on June 21, more than 814 square miles of range and forest land has gone up in flames.

Along with the Goleta and Big Sur fires, another blaze generating concern was burning in the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, where a wind-driven wildfire had burned 28 square miles, destroyed one home and threatened 1,000 more in nearby communities. It was 18 percent contained.

In Arizona, officials said a blaze southeast of Prescott had burned four homes since it broke out June 28. The blaze has forced the evacuation of the mountain town of Crown King and was half contained Friday night.


]]> 2008-07-05T12:00:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/internet_addressing_agency_loses_its_own_addresses/ {summary} TECHNOLOGY


NEW YORK (AP) - This doesn't sound good: The nonprofit agency in charge of the Internet's addresses recently lost track of its own.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, said it happened when an Internet registration company it oversees got fooled into transferring the domain names to someone else.

The attack was quickly noticed, and ICANN's domain names were restored within 20 minutes. However, because many Internet directories retain information for a day or two, visitors could have been redirected to an unauthorized site for longer.

ICANN said Thursday that new, unspecified security measures should prevent such attacks in the future. The organization also said it was reviewing other security procedures.

The domain names hijacked were ICANN.com and IANA.com - for the ICANN subdivision known as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Visitors to those addresses are normally redirected automatically to the organization's main sites at ICANN.org and IANA.org, neither of which was affected by the attack.


]]> 2008-07-04T14:21:01-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/bachmann_davis_cole_and_big_oil_at_least_they_have_each_other/ {summary} U.S. HOUSE

St. Paul (July 3, 2008) — Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), is in Minnesota this week making several closed-door appearances for Representative Michele Bachmann on Wednesday and with 1st-District congressional candidate Brian Davis on Thursday.

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez released this statement:

“As Minnesotans face the rising cost of travel over the long Independence Day weekend, Representative Michele Bachmann and Brian Davis are spending their time with one of Washington’s most notorious boosters of Big Oil: Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma.

“Representative Cole, embattled chair of the embattled National Republican Congressional Committee, brings with him to Minnesota a long record of protecting Big Oil’s interests. Cole has voted to protect special tax breaks for oil companies, has voted to cut funding for renewable-energy programs and has refused to crack down on gas-price gouging. He opposed giving consumers immediate relief at the gas pump while voting to give handouts to Big Oil. As a reward, Big Oil has contributed a total $277,050 to Cole’s campaigns — including $51,100 in the 2008 cycle alone.

“Well, at least they have each other: This holiday weekend, Bachmann, Davis and Cole will tell each other fables about how stratospheric Big Oil profits are good for Americans — but Minnesotans aren’t listening because they want real change instead, not more special favors for the Republicans’ special-interest buddies.”

Tom Cole: Big Oil’s $277,000 Man

Cole’s top contributors: the oil-and-gas industry. Cole has received $277,050 in contributions from the oil and gas industry, including $51,100 in the 2008 cycle alone. [www.opensecrets.org, accessed 7/2/08]

Cole voted to protect tax breaks for oil companies. In 2008, Cole voted against a motion to end debate on the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act and allow for the House to vote on the legislation. He also voted against considering the rule to allow the House to vote on the bill. [HR 5351, Votes #78, #80, 2/27/08]

A record of refusing to crack down on gas-price gouging. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Cole opposed bills to crack down on gas price gouging, provide for tougher penalties for those companies engaged in price gouging and to grant new authority to the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and enforce price gouging laws. [HR 1252, Vote #404, 5/23/07; HRes 897, Vote #352, 6/29/06; HR3893, Vote #518, 10/07/05]

Cole voted to cut funding for renewable-energy programs. In 2007, Cole voted in favor of an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 Energy and Water appropriations bill that would reduce funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs by $102 million. The amendment was defeated 107-320. [HR 2641, Vote #509, 6/19/07]

Cole opposed giving consumers immediate relief at the gas pump. In 2005, Cole voted against an alternative energy plan that would have brought immediate relief to consumers at the pump, increased the nation’s investment into renewable fuels and energy efficiency and cracked down on price gouging. The measure was defeated 170-259. [HR 6, Vote #118, 4/20/05]

]]> 2008-07-04T14:00:01-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/minnesota_to_coleman/ {summary} POLITICAL CONTESTS



SAINT PAUL [07/03/08] - U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken today called on Norm Coleman to reverse his position and vote to stop Wall Street speculators and Big Oil manipulators from driving up the price of gas.

Al Franken said:

"Norm Coleman is so desperate to avoid answering the questions swirling about his sweetheart apartment deal that he's launching more false attacks against me. Norm Coleman is trying to fool Minnesotans once again, pretending that he has a plan to bring down gas prices. But his 'plan' won't impact the price of gas one cent for at least 22 years. The way to bring down gas prices today is to stop the speculators and investigate price gouging. Norm had an opportunity to really do something about gas prices and instead voted twice to stand with Big Oil and Wall Street speculators. But with middle-class families hurting, they need him to stop shilling for the special interests and start working for them. Once again, what Norm says in Minnesota about his record is different than what he has done in Washington."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bush Administration: Expanded Access To Offshore Drilling Sites Would Not Impact Gas Prices Before 2030. According to the Energy Information Administration, "The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017." [Energy Information Administration, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf"]

Coleman Voted Against Closing The "Enron Loophole," Improving Energy Transparency. In November 2003, Coleman voted against an amendment to close a 2000-enacted provision commonly called the "Enron Loophole." According to the Associated Press, the loophole "allowed the energy trader to buy and sell energy holdings largely in secret without government regulation." The amendment "would have improved price transparency in wholesale electricity markets, prohibited manipulation in electricity markets and provided the Commodity Futures Trading Commission more tools to monitor over-the-counter energy markets. Maximum fines for violating either the Federal Power Act or the Natural Gas Act would have risen from $5,000 to $1 million." [Vote 436, 11/5/03; Environment and Energy Daily, 11/06/03; Associated Press, 11/05/03]

Coleman Voted Against Amendment That Would Make Manipulating Electric Energy Market Illegal. In November 2003, Coleman voted against an amendment the Associated Press said would "make clear in the Federal Power Act that manipulation is illegal in the electricity energy market." [HR 2673, Vote 439, 11/5/03; Associated Press, 11/05/03]

]]> 2008-07-04T13:57:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/walz_to_announce_more_than_766000_in_grants_for_highway_14_improvements/ {summary} U.S. HOUSE
(Mankato, MN) – Congressman Walz will announce that two sections of Highway 14 will receive federal funding, in preparation for the planned four lane expansion. The first section, from North Mankato to New Ulm will receive $315,000 to support the purchasing of the necessary right-of-way for the westerly four-lane expansion of the highway.

The second section, from Waseca to Owatonna will receive $451,000 to support utility relocations needed in preparation to construct a four-lane expressway between the two cites.


WHO: Congressman Tim Walz and Members of the Highway 14 Partnership

WHEN: Thursday, July 3 at 11:30am

WHERE: Maplewood Park (across from Kiessler’s Campgrounds on Hwy 14), Waseca, Minn


“This is a significant step in the right direction,” said Walz. “As we all know, Highway 14 is a dangerous road, more than 25 people have been killed on it in the past five years. It also creates added expenses for regional employers who rely on the road in its current worn out and undersized state to ship their goods.”

“The grant funding demonstrates the commitment of the federal government to be a partner in improving safety and commerce on this vitally important roadway.”

In 2007, Walz successfully earmarked nearly a million dollars for needed improvements to Highway 14. Walz has requested additional funding for Highway 14 this year.

]]> 2008-07-04T13:52:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/what_patriotism_is_and_is_not/ {summary} BLOG



by: Michael Winship, t r u t h o u t | Perspective


At the beginning of the week, a friend sent me a scurrilous, anonymous e-mail attacking Barack Obama that has been circulating around her elderly cousin's Jewish senior living community in New Jersey. Headlined "Something to Think About," it lists 13 acts of assassination, kidnapping, war and terrorism, all of which, it notes, were committed "by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40."

After several other claims, including a bogus citation from the Book of Revelation, the e-mail concludes, semi-literately, "For the award winning Act of Stupidity Now ... the People of America want to elect, to the most Powerful position on the face of the Planet - The Presidency of the United States of America to A Muslim Male Between the ages of 17 and 40? Have the American People completely lost their Minds, or just their power of reason? I'm sorry but I refuse to take a chance on the 'unknown' candidate Obama."

To point out the obvious errors, that Barack Obama's a Christian, not Muslim, and that he's 46, not "between the ages of 17 and 40," feels a bit lame, like damning with faint fact-checking. Let's call this appalling missive what it is - bigoted, hysterical and more than a little nuts. Unless, of course, it comes from the hands not of a mere delusional crank, but one of those beneath-the-radar smear forces that we all know are out there, ratcheting into higher and higher gear as November gets closer.

E-mails such as the one my friend passed along are insidious, appealing to our deepest fears and prejudices. A front-page story in Monday's Washington Post profiled retired worker Jim Peterman of Findlay, Ohio. He's a decent guy who "believes a smart vote is an American's greatest responsibility," the Post's Eli Salsow wrote. "Which is why his confusion about Barack Obama continues to eat at him ...

"Does he trust a local newspaper article that details Obama's Christian faith? Or his friend Leroy Pollard, a devoted family man so convinced Obama is a radical Muslim that he threatened to stop talking to his daughter when he heard she might vote for him?

"'I'll admit that I probably don't follow all of the election news like maybe I should,' Peterman said. 'I haven't read his books or studied up more than a little bit. But it's hard to ignore what you hear when everybody you know is saying it. These are good people, smart people, so can they really all be wrong?'"

So it goes across the nation. Chances are, many of the perpetrators of this nonsense think they're being patriots, saving us from Obama and ourselves. And goodness knows, there's a long history of this kind of guttersnipery in American politics. As Obama pointed out in his Monday speech on the nature of patriotism, "Thomas Jefferson was accused by the Federalists of selling out to the French. The anti-Federalists were just as convinced that John Adams was in cahoots with the British and intent on restoring monarchal rule ... the use of patriotism as a political sword or a political shield is as old as the Republic."

Details of Obama's speech got buried in the wake of General Wesley Clark's politically lunkheaded comment about John McCain that, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president." But over the Fourth of July weekend, it might be appropriate and enlightening to take a few minutes to read or watch the whole thing.

It's a good speech. The senator talks about American history and his own patriotism, about the need for service and sacrifice. "For those who have fought under the flag of this nation," he said, "for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed; for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country - no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides."

And this: "I believe those who attack America's flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America.... But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expressions of patriotism."

Which brings me to what I think was an unusual and especially fine expression of American patriotism. It's the June 19 closing argument of Air Force Reserve Maj. David J.R. Frakt, arguing for the dismissal of charges against Mohammed Jawad, a young detainee at Guantanamo, charged with throwing a hand grenade that wounded two GI's and their interpreter in Afghanistan. Frakt argued that Jawad should be released because sleep deprivation - two weeks' worth - was used to torture him. You can read it on the web site of the ACLU.

Frakt stood before the military commission upholding the inviolability of the American principle of due process, even for an alleged enemy of the United States. "Under the Constitution all men are created equal, and all are entitled to be treated with dignity," he said. "No one is 'undeserving' of humane treatment. It is an unmistakable lesson of history that when one group of people starts to see another group of people as 'other' or as 'different,' as 'undeserving,' as 'inferior,' ill treatment inevitably follows ...

"After six and a half years, we now know the truth about the detainees at Guantanamo: some of them are terrorists, some of them are foot soldiers, and some of them were just innocent people, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the detainees at Guantanamo have one thing in common - with each other, and with us - they are all human beings, and they are all worthy of humane treatment."

Thus, in the face of adverse public opinion and White House opposition, Frakt bravely defended a constitutional principle as all-encompassing, including under its protections even those who might seek to destroy us and the very constitutional principles for which we stand. In fact, he said, "It is a testament to the continuing greatness of this nation, that I, a lowly Air Force Reserve major, can stand here before you today, with the world watching, without fear of retribution, retaliation or reprisal, and speak truth to power. I can call a spade a spade, and I can call torture, torture."

To me, that makes Maj. David Frakt a patriot and this a great country. Happy Fourth of July.

]]> 2008-07-04T11:11:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/coleman_still_wont_or_cant_show_how_hes_receiving_market_value/ {summary} DFL Party News Coleman claims his housing deal is fair market value — but listings tell a different story


St. Paul (July 3, 2008) — Senator Norm Coleman, the subject of an ethics complaint filed with the Senate Ethics Committee, continues his string of evasions about his sweetheart housing deal in Washington, D.C., claiming that Minnesotans could find on craigslist.org listings similar to the deal he is getting.

The Minnesota DFL Party has found on craigslist.org and in other public listings that there are no publicly listed rentals of English basements in the same Capitol Hill neighborhood with amenities and safety comparable to Coleman’s at anywhere near $600 a month.

The Minnesota DFL Party released the following statement from Chair Brian Melendez:

“Senator Coleman continues to mislead Minnesotans about his sweetheart deal when he states — without providing any proof — that $600 a month is fair market value for what he is receiving. But he offers no actual evidence to support his bogus claim — he has not offered a single example of comparable housing in a comparable location at a comparable price. Indeed, our research shows that not only is he paying far under market value, he is paying less than half as much as he should be paying.

“We have found an extremely similar space to Coleman’s that rents for $1,700 a month, while other English basements nearby rent for $1,100 to $1,800. Yet another space, seven blocks farther from the Capitol than Coleman’s, rents for $1,475 a month — but on a block with an incidence of crime five times higher, and an incidence of violent crime 12 times higher.

“The only $600 rooms available were in shared houses located anywhere from 20 blocks to nearly five miles from the Capitol.

“So Senator Coleman, can you prove through publicly available listings that you are paying fair market value? If you cannot, will you and your campaign please stop claiming that you are?

“And Senator Coleman, do you think it’s fair that when so many Minnesotans are worried about keeping their homes, that you get a cut-rate sweetheart deal from Jeff Larson, one of the most well-connected political operatives in America, and a paid political operative with whom you and your campaign have done more than a million dollars’ worth of business?”

Coleman Claims About Sweetheart Deal Contradicted by Facts, Own Statements:

Coleman claims his staff has looked at craigslist to determine market value of his apartment. “In terms of market value, you know, we’ve looked at craigslist, we can do all that.” [Coleman Press Conference, St. Paul, 7/2/08]

Coleman spokesman still claims that Coleman is paying “fair market value.” “The record is clear that Senator Coleman paid fair market value for a cramped basement bedroom,” said Luke Friedrich, the Coleman campaign’s press secretary. [Pioneer Press “Political Animal” blog, 7/1/08]

English-basement apartments and studios on Capitol Hill comparable to Coleman’s for rent at amounts far in excess of $600 per month. In addition to the research that it released last Monday, the DFL Party today released more research showing that rentals of English basements and small apartments comparable in location, safety and amenity to Coleman’s run from $1,100 to $1,800 per month. One Capitol Hill one-bedroom English basement is nearly identical to Coleman’s in location and safety, for $1,700; another at $1,475 per month sits on a block with five times the number of crimes committed in the last year, including 12 times the number of violent crimes; and another at $1,350 a month is a mere 625 square feet in size. [Craigslist.org, accessed 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08; complete research records available on request.]

Crime rates for most locations higher than for Coleman’s. The Party also compiled crime statistics for each location. Coleman’s English basement sits on a relatively safe block: The District of Columbia crime report for Coleman’s English basement at 140 North Carolina Avenue SE shows that in the last year, a total of 13 crimes were committed within 500 feet of the house, including one violent crime. In all instances but one — an apartment building literally across the street from the Capitol — the number of crimes committed within 500 feet of the other comparable Capitol Hill English-basement apartments was equal to (in one instance) or greater than (in all other instances) the number of crimes committed in the vicinity of Coleman’s residence, by on average a factor of nearly three. [District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, accessed 7/1/08]

Available rentals at $600 far away from Capitol, in shared houses. The DFL Party released more research showing that rooms for rent for $600 Washington, D.C., are only available in shared houses at anywhere from two to five miles from the Capitol. [Craigslist.org, accessed 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08; complete research records available on request.]

Coleman spokesman continues to claim that Coleman occupies “cramped basement bedroom.” “Coleman campaign spokesman Luke Friedrich replied that Coleman is paying fair market value ‘for a cramped basement bedroom.’” [WCCO (AP), 7/1/08]

Realtor’s description of English basement contradicts Coleman’s assertion. A real-estate agent’s listing of Larson’s million-dollar townhome reads: “Downstairs, a huge English basement with a media center, office space, gorgeous custom marble and oak bar — plus an airy guest bedroom and bath.” [Phyllis Jane Young.com, accessed 7/2/08]

FACT: Descriptions Of Coleman’s Access to Living Space Have Been Inconsistent.

In first article, National Journal reported Coleman had access to just bedroom, bathroom, sink and small refrigerator. June 28 National Journal article, “[Jeff] Larson also described Coleman's living arrangements: "He has one bedroom in the back. I was actually surprised [the bed] fits into it. Somehow, he jumps into it at night and has just a bathroom, sink, and small refrigerator." He said that the apartment does not even have a stove.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

In second article, National Journal reports that Coleman acknowledges he shares common “living space” with FLS-Connect. “In a statement issued to National Journal, Coleman said that in July last year he moved into the basement apartment of the townhouse. He said he had ‘a 10-by-10-foot bedroom, bathroom, no kitchen or cooking facilities and living space that I share with an office,’ meaning FLS Connect.” [National Journal, 7/1/08, emphasis added]

While Coleman gets sweetheart deal, 27,000 Minnesota homes in foreclosure; prime-mortgage foreclosures in Minnesota up 118.8% in one year. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, at the end of FY2008 Q1, 11,965 homes in Minnesota were in prime mortgage foreclosure, up 118.8% from FY2007 Q1. 15,270 homes in Minnesota are in subprime foreclosures, up 67.8% from FY2007 Q1. [U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, State by State Breakdown of MBA Report, accessed 7/2/08]

]]> 2008-07-03T14:03:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/3_rescued_us_hostages_arrive_safely_in_texas/ {summary} BLOG




LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AP) - With little fanfare, three American hostages rescued from leftist guerillas in Colombia returned safely to the United States, more than five years after their plane went down in rebel-held jungle.

The men didn't wave to reporters or bend down to kiss the ground upon their return late Wednesday. They simply boarded waiting helicopters, which took them to a hospital where they were expected to reunite with their families.

The U.S. military contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell - had been held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia since their drug-surveillance plane went down in the jungle in February 2003. Nowhere in the world have American hostages currently in captivity been held longer, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.

The three were rescued when Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing them over along with kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. She was also freed Wednesday, as were 11 Colombian police and soldiers.

A plane carrying the Americans landed at Lackland Air Force Base shortly after 11 p.m. All appeared well as they exited the Air Force C-17. The men were then flown by choppers to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where they were expected to undergo tests.

Long before their rescue, it seemed like any public efforts to rescue the hostages had disappeared.

While France exhorted the world to care about the plight of Betancourt, and even sent a humanitarian mission in a failed rescue attempt this year, the U.S. government remained nearly silent about efforts to free the Americans, employees of a Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) subsidiary that has supported Colombia's fight against drugs and rebels.

Howes is a native of Chatham, Mass.; Gonsalves' father lives in Hebron, Conn.; and Stansell's family lives in Miami.

Their families complained publicly about what seemed to be the U.S. government's failure to act.

"We didn't know what the heck was going on," Gonsalves' father, George, told reporters. "I'm getting information from you guys."

The Americans' fate seemed particularly grim after "proof-of-life" images released in November showed them appearing haggard, even haunted, against a deep jungle background.

The contractors and Betancourt were among a group of rebel-designated "political prisoners" whom the FARC planned to release only in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned rebels. But every attempt at talking about a prisoner swap seemed to go nowhere.

Behind the scenes, however, Colombia's armed forces were closing in on the rebels, with the help of billions of dollars in U.S. military support.

The U.S. and Colombian governments learned the hostages' location "any number of times" and planned several rescue missions during their five years in captivity, but the difficulty of extracting them alive had prevented the missions from being carried out, according to a U.S. government official in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of intelligence matters.

Last month, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said soldiers had spotted the three men in the southern jungles, but they disappeared into the forest before the troops could attempt a rescue.

After the men were freed, U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield said U.S. and Colombian forces cooperated closely on the rescue mission, including sharing intelligence, equipment, training advice and operational experience.

The Americans appeared healthy in a video shown on Colombian television, though Brownfield, who met with them at a Colombian military base, said two of the three were suffering from the jungle malady leishmaniasis and "looking forward to modern medical treatment."

George Gonsalves was mowing his yard when an excited neighbor relayed the news he had seen on television.

"I didn't know how to stop my lawnmower," he said. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it."

"We're still teary-eyed and not quite have our wits about us," said Stansell's stepmother, Lynne.

And Howes' niece, Amanda Howes, said the rescue "redefines the word miracle."

Congratulations poured in to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe from President Bush and both presidential candidates. Republican Sen. John McCain said Uribe had told him in advance of the rescue plans while he was campaigning in Colombia. "It's a very high-risk operation," he said. "I congratulate President Uribe, the military and the nation of Colombia."

Democrat Barack Obama also sent his congratulations, saying he supports "Colombia's steady strategy of making no concessions to the FARC, and its targeted use of intelligence, military, law enforcement, diplomatic and political power to achieve important victories against terrorism."

Gonsalves' father, who later got a phone call from the FBI confirming his son was free, expected an emotional family reunion, especially for his son's three children, now teenagers. "Think about your children if they don't see you for a week a weekend or a month," he said. "It's five years pulled out of your life."


]]> 2008-07-03T12:43:01-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/dfl_party_holds_norm_colemans_feet_to_the_fire/ {summary} DFL Party News Party chair presents new research challenging Coleman on sweetheart deal, asks Coleman to answer five simple questions


St. Paul (July 2, 2008) — Minnesota DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez held a media conference call today during which he provided new research about Norm Coleman’s Washington, D.C., sweetheart deal, addressed Senator Coleman’s evasions and inaccuracies related to his arrangement, and posed five questions for Senator Coleman to answer.

The conference came after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee yesterday based on last week’s National Journal article detailing a highly beneficial, cut-rate housing arrangement that Coleman enjoys. The DFL Party also alleged on Monday that the deal constitutes a violation of Senate ethics rules.

On the call, Melendez again asserted that the $600 a month in rent that Coleman pays political operative Jeff Larson is far below market value:

“The revelations about Norm Coleman’s sweetheart deal keep coming. Senator Coleman protests that $600 a month is fair market value for what he is receiving — but our research of publicly available records contradicts him.

“For example, on Capitol Hill, we have found an extremely similar space to Coleman’s that rents for $1,700 a month. Other nearby English basements rent for $1,100 to $1,800. Another English basement seven blocks farther away from the Capitol than Coleman’s place rents for $1,475 a month — with an overall crime rate five times higher and a violent crime rate 12 times higher.

“The only $600 rooms available were in shared houses located anywhere from 20 blocks to nearly five miles from the Capitol.”

In light of this new research, Melendez asked:

“Senator Coleman, can you prove that you are paying fair market value? What research are you using to back up your claim that you are?”

On the heels of a new National Journal article, Melendez also took issue with Coleman’s continued claim that he does not use or have access to the entire English basement:

“Coleman’s claim that he has access only to his bedroom is simply not credible. In yesterday’s National Journal article, Senator Coleman admitted again that he ‘shares’ the ‘living space’ with an office — namely the office of FLS-Connect, Jeff Larson’s company. And we know from the real-estate listing not only that Coleman’s bedroom is ‘airy,’ but that the basement includes many amenities that Coleman refuses to acknowledge.

“Are we to believe that when Coleman is in the apartment long after the FLS-Connect employee has left, he does not enjoy full use of the rest of the apartment? Why won’t Senator Coleman admit that he has full access to the entire apartment?”

DFL officials also inquired with Pepco, the local power company in Washington, D.C., about the utilities for the home, and found that utilities for the English basement are billed separately from the upper two floors of the house. About those findings, Melendez asked:

“Is Senator Coleman paying his share of the utilities and, if so, can he prove it with a bill from Pepco, or proof of payment to Pepco? If he is not paying his share, who is paying it for him — and would that subsidy constitute yet another ethics violation?”

On Monday, Melendez called on Senator Coleman to produce a lease along with any other documentation between him and Jeff Larson about the sweetheart deal. Today, Melendez renewed his call:

“Why hasn’t Senator Coleman produced a copy of his lease with Jeff Larson, along with any other related written documentation?”

Finally, Melendez asked:

“Senator Coleman, is it fair, when so many Minnesotans are worried about keeping their homes, are facing foreclosure or have been foreclosed on, that you get a cut-rate sweetheart deal from Jeff Larson, one of the most well-connected political operatives in America?”


Coleman Claims About Sweetheart Deal Contradicted by Facts, Own Statements

Coleman spokesman still claims that Coleman is paying “fair market value.” “The record is clear that Senator Coleman paid fair market value for a cramped basement bedroom,” said Luke Friedrich, the Coleman campaign’s press secretary. [Pioneer Press “Political Animal” blog, 7/1/08]

English-basement apartments and studios on Capitol Hill comparable to Coleman’s for rent at amounts far in excess of $600 per month. In addition to the research that it released last Monday, the DFL Party today released more research showing that rentals of English basements and small apartments comparable in location, safety and amenity to Coleman’s run from $1,100 to $1,800 per month. One Capitol Hill one-bedroom English basement is nearly identical to Coleman’s in location and safety, for $1,700; another at $1,475 per month sits on a block with five times the number of crimes committed in the last year, including 12 times the number of violent crimes; and another at $1,350 a month is a mere 625 square feet in size. [Craigslist.org, accessed 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08; complete research records available on request.]

Crime rates for most locations higher than for Coleman’s. The Party also compiled crime statistics for each location. Coleman’s English basement sits on a relatively safe block: The District of Columbia crime report for Coleman’s English basement at 140 North Carolina Avenue SE shows that in the last year, a total of 13 crimes were committed within 500 feet of the house, including one violent crime. In all instances but one — an apartment building literally across the street from the Capitol — the number of crimes committed within 500 feet of the other comparable Capitol HiHillHileieeiHill Hill English-basement apartments was equal to (in one instance) or greater than (in all other instances) the number of crimes committed in the vicinity of Coleman’s residence, by on average a factor of nearly three. [District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, accessed 7/1/08]

Available rentals at $600 far away from Capitol, in shared houses. The DFL Party released more research showing that rooms for rent for $600 Washington, D.C., are only available in shared houses at anywhere from two to five miles from the Capitol. [Craigslist.org, accessed 7/1/08, 7/1/08, 7/1/08; complete research records available on request.]

Coleman spokesman continues to claim that Coleman occupies “cramped basement bedroom.” “Coleman campaign spokesman Luke Friedrich replied that Coleman is paying fair market value ‘for a cramped basement bedroom.’” [WCCO (AP), 7/1/08]

Realtor’s description of English basement contradicts Coleman’s assertion. A real-estate agent’s listing of Larson’s million-dollar townhome reads: “Downstairs, a huge English basement with a media center, office space, gorgeous custom marble and oak bar — plus an airy guest bedroom and bath.” [Phyllis Jane Young.com, accessed 7/2/08]

In new article, National Journal reports that Coleman acknowledges he shares common “living space” with FLS-Connect. “In a statement issued to National Journal, Coleman said that in July last year he moved into the basement apartment of the townhouse. He said he had ‘a 10-by-10-foot bedroom, bathroom, no kitchen or cooking facilities and living space that I share with an office,’ meaning FLS Connect.” [National Journal, 7/1/08, emphasis added]

While Coleman gets sweetheart deal, 27,000 Minnesota homes in foreclosure; prime-mortgage foreclosures in Minnesota up 118.8% in one year. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, at the end of FY2008 Q1, 11,965 homes in Minnesota were in prime mortgage foreclosure, up 118.8% from FY2007 Q1. 15,270 homes in Minnesota are in subprime foreclosures, up 67.8% from FY2007 Q1. [U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, State by State Breakdown of MBA Report, accessed 7/2/08]

]]> 2008-07-03T11:38:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/u_s_senate_candidate_al_franken_addresses_energy_crisis/ {summary} POLITICAL CONTESTS Outlines proposals to immediately address gas prices, long-term plans to meet our energy needs



SAINT PAUL [7/2/08] – DFL-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken today discussed Minnesota's energy crisis, outlining his proposals to take immediate action to return sanity to the energy market and put our country on a path to ending our dependence on foreign oil.

The price of gas has increased by 275% since President Bush took office – and the big oil companies are making $1.5 billion every week.

"The high price of gas is contributing to the middle-class squeeze in Minnesota," said Franken. "And all Norm Coleman has to offer are phony solutions. Experts agree: Opening up drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf won't have an impact on gas prices this summer, this year, or this decade. I think we should require oil companies to first drill on the 68 million acres they currently control but aren't using."

Franken proposed a crackdown on energy futures trading that is currently allowed to go on outside the purview of U.S. regulations, saying: "Wall Street speculators are responsible for a part of the rise in gas prices, and we can do something to stop them. I call on Congress to pass aggressive new legislation to rein them in."

Franken also urged Congress to take action to investigate the possibility that oil companies have intentionally restricted production in an attempt to manipulate the market.

Besides these two immediate steps, Franken reiterated his call to end government subsidies for Big Oil, and for an Apollo program, funded in part by a windfall profits tax on oil industry profits, to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

He said, "We should be looking to wind energy, solar energy, biofuels, and other solutions. And we should be building the next generation of hybrid electric cars and other energy-efficient products right here in Minnesota. By extending the research and development tax credit and increasing our investment in basic research, we can ensure that Minnesota farmers and businesses and students and consumers are the big winners in the green economy."

]]> 2008-07-03T11:24:05-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/rand_releases_delayed_iraq_history/ {summary} GOVERMENT

By MICHAEL R. GORDON
NY Times
Published: July 1, 2008


WASHINGTON — The RAND Corporation issued a long-delayed report on Monday on problems in planning for postwar Iraq.

The 273-page study, which was prepared for the United States Army, chronicles a wide range of factors that hampered the American effort to stabilize Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

These included overly optimistic assumptions by policymakers and an assumption by senior military commanders that civilian authorities would have the main responsibility for the postwar period.

Entitled “After Saddam: Postwar Planning and the Occupation of Iraq,” the study covers events through June 2004. It is available at http://www.rand.org/pubs/

The study was drafted in 2005 but not published until Monday. A Pentagon official said earlier this year that one reason for the delay was the concern of some Army officials that the report would strain relations with Donald H. Rumsfeld, who was secretary of Defense in 2005.

The New York Times, which obtained a draft of the study in February, published an article about its conclusions that month. That prompted demands from lawmakers that the unclassified version of the study be publicly released. The RAND report was resubmitted to the Army. Army officials provided comments but did not seek to alter the report’s analysis or conclusions, officials said.

Publication of the RAND report follows the release of a separate study by the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth that chronicled postwar planning issues, “On Point II: Transition to the New Campaign.”

]]> 2008-07-03T00:50:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/three_us_hostages_rescued_in_colombia/ {summary} BLOG



July 02, 2008
Associated Press


BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia freed Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors from leftist guerrillas on Wednesday after military spies tricked rebels into giving them up without a single injury, the defense minister said.

The rescue is the most serious blow ever dealt to the 44-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which considered the four hostages their most valuable bargaining chips. The FARC is already reeling from the deaths of key commanders and the loss of much of the territory it once held.

Eleven Colombian soldiers and police also were freed as their guerrilla captors gave up without a fight, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said.

In Paris, the son of the former French-Colombian presidential candidate, Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt, called her release after six years of captivity, "if true, the most beautiful news of my life." He said he would fly to Colombia "very soon" for a reunion.

The Americans - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell - were being flown to the United States from a military base in central Colombia, Santos said.

He called the operation unprecedented and said it "will go into history for its audacity and effectiveness."

U.S. President George W. Bush called to congratulate his ally Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and told him "he is a strong leader," according to White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe. He said Uribe in turn thanked Bush for his support, which has included billions of dollars in military aid. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said he too spoke with Uribe.

Santos said the military intelligence agents infiltrated the guerrilla ranks and led the local commander in charge of the hostages, alias Cesar, to believe they were going to take them by helicopter to Alfonso Cano, the guerrillas' supreme leader.

The hostages, who had been divided in three groups, were taken to a rallying point where two helicopters piloted by Colombian military agents were waiting. The helicopters took off with the hostages, Cesar and one other rebel, and those two "were neutralized" during the flight, Santos said.

The army let the rest of the rebel group, who retreated into the jungle, escape "in hopes that they will free the rest of the hostages," Santos said. The government says the FARC still holds about 700 hostages.

He also said Colombia had infiltrated the rebels' seven-man ruling secretariat, but did not elaborate.

Santos renewed the government's offer to negotiate with the reeling rebel movement, who many believe is nearing the end of its four-decade fight. Battlefield losses and widespread desertions have cut rebel numbers in half to about 9,000.

This year, historic leader Manuel Marulanda died of a reported heart attack, and two other top commanders were killed. The rest are hunkered down in remote jungle and mountain hideouts, unable to communicate effectively.

"The government reiterates to them that if they want to enter into serious negotiations in good faith, we are offering a dignified peace," Santos said.

The rescue came as U.S. presidential candidate John McCain was visiting Colombia. When news of its success reached McCain on his campaign plane, he said he and two other U.S. senators traveling with him - Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham - had been told about it in advance by Uribe.

Betancourt, 46, was abducted in February 2002 as she was running for president. France in particular has made her captivity a national cause, as she holds dual French and Colombian citizenship.

The Americans, who worked for a Northrup Grumman Corp. subsidiary as Pentagon contractors, were captured a year after Betancourt when their drug surveillance plane went down in rebel-held jungle. They were the longest-held American hostages in the world.

There was no answer Wednesday at the homes of their families in the United States.

In the five years since their abduction, their families had received only two "proof of life" videos, the latest in November.

That tape also showed the first images since 2003 of Betancourt. Along with letters and reports from other hostages, they showed a once-vibrant, confident woman slowly succumbing to Hepatitis B, tropical skin diseases and depression. One former hostage said Betancourt was kept chained to a tree after trying to escape. There was no immediate word on Betancourt's condition.

Former Betancourt aide Clara Rojas, who was kidnapped along with her boss and freed in January, called the rescue "a blessing from God."

"I think that meeting again with her children is going to be fundamental for her," Rojas told Argentina's Todo Noticias cable channel.

Her sister, Astrid Betancourt, described her "immense happiness" and relief on France's RTL radio.

Betancourt's family waged a campaign for her freedom, organizing marches and events in Colombia and France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy implored the FARC to free the ailing Betancourt and sent a mission to Colombia to try to gain access to her. He also urged Colombia's government to contact the rebels.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who shares an affinity with the leftist FARC, also tried to negotiate Betancourt's release as part of a prisoner swap.

But none of the efforts could bridge the gaps between the guerrillas and Uribe, whose father was killed by the FARC and who made the group's defeat the cornerstone of his presidency.

Colombia's government even criticized the family for its efforts to raise Betancourt's public profile. With all the interest in her, officials said, Betancourt became too valuable a bargaining chip to be traded for anything less than a comprehensive deal. The family countered that its work had drawn attention to the plight of all Colombia's kidnap victims.

]]> 2008-07-03T00:44:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/entire_town_of_big_sur_calif_evacuated_for_fire/ {summary} Our Violent Planet

BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) - Authorities ordered the remaining residents of this scenic coastal community to leave Wednesday because an out-of-control wildfire, one of hundreds in California, had jumped a fire line and was threatening more homes.

Flames raged in the hills above and ash fell from orange skies as evacuees in packed cars streamed north along Highway 1, the only major road out of Big Sur. Sheriff's deputies told residents they needed to leave the area by late afternoon.

"The fire is just a big raging animal right now," said Darby Marshall, spokesman for the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.

The Big Sur blaze is one of more than 1,100 wildfires, mostly ignited by lightning, that have scorched 680 square miles and destroyed 60 homes and buildings across Northern California since June 20, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

New mandatory evacuation notices were issued Wednesday for a 10-mile stretch along Highway 1. Authorities have closed a total of 25 miles of the scenic roadway, blocking access to popular resorts, restaurants, shops and art galleries that attract tourists from around the world.

The blaze had destroyed 16 homes and charred about 81 square miles of forest since it was started by lightning on June 21 in the Los Padres National Forest. It was only about 3 percent contained.

The new evacuation notice means that all of the roughly 850 residents who live along the Big Sur coast from Andrew Molera State Park to Limekiln State Park have been ordered to leave, Marshall said.

Janna Fournier, a Big Sur resident for eight years, was heading back to her house to retrieve artwork and rescue her pet tarantula.

"I feel sad for the wilderness and the people who lost their homes," Fournier said. "We chose to live in a wilderness among all this beauty, so I know there's that chance you always take."

Helicopters hauling large containers of water droned loudly overhead as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison, visited Big Sur on Wednesday.

"This is a very dangerous fire right now because of the wind and because of how dry things are and how early in the year it is," Paulison said in an interview. "If people evacuate like they're told to, we shouldn't lose any lives. ... My only concern is that people don't take it seriously enough."

Drought, heat and lightning storms have contributed to more than 1,100 separate fires that have blackened 680 square miles of land statewide in the past two weeks. The blazes have destroyed 60 homes and other buildings while threatening thousands more, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to the unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.

In Southern California, a fire in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara prompted mandatory evacuations of about 45 people in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Officials said that fire had burned nearly 200 acres of heavy brush Wednesday and about 200 homes were threatened.

Rough terrain in the Santa Ynez area hampered firefighters, said Santa Barbara County spokesman William Boyer. "It's mostly an aerial battle," he said.

Elsewhere, a wildfire threatened 15 homes and the Okanogan tribal bingo casino near Okanogan, Wash., and some residents had been evacuated, said Ron Bowen of the state fire marshal's office. The blaze had covered 1,500 acres - just over 2 square miles - and the state sent people and equipment to help Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighters, officials said.

]]> 2008-07-03T00:30:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/betancourt_rescue_in_colombia_was_impeccable/ {summary} BLOG


BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing over kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue so successful that not a single shot was fired.

Betancourt, who was seized on the campaign trail six long years ago, appeared thin but healthy as she strode down the stairs of a military plane and held her mother in a long embrace.

"Thank you for your impeccable operation," she told top military commanders. "The operation was perfect."

Eleven Colombian police and soldiers were also freed in the rescue, the most serious blow ever dealt to the 44-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which considered the four hostages their most valuable bargaining chips. The FARC is already reeling from the deaths of key commanders and the loss of much of the territory it once held.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said military intelligence agents infiltrated the guerrilla ranks and led the local commander in charge of the hostages, alias Cesar, to believe they were going to take them to Alfonso Cano, the guerrillas' supreme leader.

The hostages, who had been divided in three groups, were taken to a rallying point where two disguised helicopters piloted by Colombian military agents were waiting. Betancourt said her hands and feet were bound.

"We were frustrated because we were handcuffed," she said. "We were very indignant, very humiliated."

Only when the helicopters were airborne did military crewmembers reveal their identity, she said.

"The chief of the operation said, 'We're the national army. You're free,'" she said, adding that the hostages were so shocked, it was as if "the helicopter almost fell from the sky."

Santos said Cesar and another rebel on board "were neutralized." He didn't elaborate, but said they were unhurt and would soon face justice. Santos said the other rebel captors retreated into the jungle and the army let them escape "in hopes that they will free the rest of the hostages," believed to number about 700.

The operation, Santos said, "will go into history for its audacity and effectiveness."

"We wanted to have it happen as it did today," added armed forces chief Gen. Freddy Padilla. "Without a single shot. Without anyone wounded. Absolutely safe and sound, without a scratch."

At a Bogota ceremony with top military commanders, the freed hostages walked up to a microphone one by one, identified themselves by name and rank, and thanked their rescuers. Some had been held for a dozen years, captured when rebels overran military outposts.

Last to speak was the French-Colombian Betancourt, who wore military fatigues and a floppy camouflage hat as she hugged her mother, Yolanda Pulecio, and her husband, Juan Carlos LeCompte. She removed her hat to reveal intricately braided dark hair, with plaits framing her face and a white flower.

In Paris, her son Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt called her release "the most beautiful news of my life." He and other relatives were flying to Colombia to join her.

The Americans - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell - were flying directly to the United States to reunite with their families, Santos said.

They had been the longest-held American hostages in the world.

Gonsalves' father George was mowing the yard of his Hebron, Connecticut, home when an excited neighbor relayed the news he had seen on television: "I didn't know how to stop my lawnmower. I was shocked. I couldn't believe it."

"We're still teary-eyed and not quite have our wits about us," said Stansell's stepmother Lynne.

U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Santos renewed the government's offer to negotiate with the reeling rebel movement, who many believe is nearing the end of its four-decade fight. Battlefield losses and widespread desertions have cut rebel numbers in half to about 9,000 as the United States has poured billions of dollars in military aid into Colombia.

This year, historic leader Manuel Marulanda died of a reported heart attack, and two other top commanders were killed. The rest are hunkered down in remote jungle and mountain hideouts, unable to communicate effectively.

Santos said Colombia had infiltrated the rebels' seven-man ruling secretariat, but did not elaborate.

"The government reiterates to them that if they want to enter into serious negotiations in good faith, we are offering a dignified peace," Santos said.

U.S. presidential candidate John McCain said Uribe had told him in advance of the rescue plans while he was campaigning in Colombia. "It's a very high-risk operation," he said. "I congratulate President Uribe, the military and the nation of Colombia."

Betancourt, 46, was abducted in February 2002. The Americans were captured a year after Betancourt when their drug surveillance plane went down in rebel-held jungle.

In the five years since their abduction, their families had received only two "proof of life" videos, the latest in November.

That tape also showed the first images since 2003 of Betancourt. Along with letters and reports from other hostages, they showed a once-vibrant, confident woman slowly succumbing to Hepatitis B, tropical skin diseases and depression. One former hostage said Betancourt was kept chained to a tree after trying to escape. There was no immediate word on Betancourt's condition.

Former Betancourt aide Clara Rojas, who was kidnapped with her boss and freed in January, called the rescue "an enormous relief" and said she hoped the FARC would "take a rational decision to free the rest of the hostages."

]]> 2008-07-03T00:01:01-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/walz_addresses_skyrocketing_gas_prices/ {summary} U.S. HOUSE Urges President Bush to Jawbone Oil Companies


(Mankato, Minn) – Today, after listening to constituents at the Mankato Shell gas station, Congressman Tim Walz called upon President Bush to jawbone oil company executives to move swiftly in lowering gas prices and help turn around this sluggish economy.

"Something is out of whack when hard-working Americans – whose incomes have been flat-- must pay for skyrocketing gas prices while major oil companies earn record profits," said Walz. "The oil companies made more than half a trillion dollars in profits since President Bush and Vice President Cheney took office. We now need the President's full attention to bring relief to regular folks."

In 1961, when the steel industry increased prices and threatened the country's economic stability, President John Kennedy asked steel manufacturers to lower their prices. He was successful because he argued that the steel industry had "fared well in recent years" and that its "claim to the support of public opinion will be strengthened by the exercise of price restraint now."

Walz was joined at the station by Steve Martin, local owner of the Shell Gas Station and Paul Kvitek, owner of Paul's Plumbing & Heating in Eagle Lake.

Walz also urged President Bush to help pass a series of legislative initiatives being considered in Congress designed to address high gas prices by restoring responsibility, fairness and consumer safeguards in the oil and gas markets. The legislation will curb reckless speculation in the oil trading markets, halt gas price gouging and force oil companies to drill on the land they've already been given.

"I've heard from constituents about how high gas prices have affected their lives and their pocket books," said Walz. "I've also heard how people think that they are being taken advantaged of by some unscrupulous, bad actors. I can't blame folks for coming to this conclusion especially after the Enron scandal and the ongoing crisis in the home mortgage industry. It is time to bring transparency and fairness to gas prices, and we need the President's help doing it."

The bills Walz asked President Bush to help enact include:

· HR 6346 - Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act - This bill investigates and punishes those who artificially inflate the price of gasoline and diesel fuel. This bill sets criminal penalties for price gouging, and allows states to bring lawsuits against the retailers and wholesalers who are involved in such practices.

· HR 6052 – Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 - This legislation provides grants to mass transit authorities to lower fares for commuters pinched at the pump and expand transit services. This piece of legislation also proposes an additional $24,407,724 in public transportation funding for the state of Minnesota.

· HR 6251 – Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act – This bill compels the oil industry to start drilling or lose permits on the 68 million acres of undeveloped land they already lease or turn it over to another company.

· HR 6377 – Energy Markets Emergency Act – This bill directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use its emergency tools and authority to curb excessive speculation. Experts believe that as much as $20-60 of the cost of a barrel of oil may be due to excessive speculation.

"Anyone caught attempting to artificially inflate the price of oil or diesel should be brought to justice," said Walz. "The Big Oil companies should 'use or lose' the land that has already been granted by the federal government for drilling."

"Working people, middle-class families, farmers and small businesses in southern Minnesota are feeling economic pain at the gas pump – and it hurts." added Walz. "Locally-run gas stations like the one we're at today are not to blame for the current situation. Stations like this one can barely make a profit on a gallon of gas and are just as frustrated by this situation as the rest of us."

]]> 2008-07-02T16:42:02-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/national_guard_troops_set_to_relieve_fire_crews/ {summary} Our Violent Planet


FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Weary crews battling blazes across northern and central California soon will get some help from the National Guard, the first time the troops have been called to ground-based firefighting duty since 1977.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered 200 guardsmen to report for fire training to begin assisting on the fire lines early next week. The extra hands are expected to boost the nearly 19,000 personnel currently fighting the fires.

"I think that they all are doing a great job, but the danger is that our firefighters get stretched thin," the governor said. "A lot of them are working overtime, and they are staying up there for more than 12 hours, sometimes 24 hours, 36 hours. So we have to be very careful that they get enough sleep and they get enough rest."

Already this year, drought conditions, high temperatures and a series of lightning storms have contributed to more than 680 square miles being scorched statewide.

Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.

The National Interagency Fire Center, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, released a 2008 Wildland Fire Outlook on Tuesday forecasting significant fire activity to increase or persist in California; portions of the Western Great Basin in Nevada; the northern Rocky Mountains in eastern Montana; regions of Texas and the southwestern Appalachians in West Virginia.

The agency also upped its national preparedness level Tuesday to Level 5, its highest - a warning that there are major fires that have the potential to exhaust firefighting resources. It's the second earliest date the agency has reached Level 5 since 1990.

California has endured the worst of the fires so far this year, raging from the western edge of the Sierra Nevada to coastal mountains near Big Sur. They have created a smoky haze so stifling that some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say their waiting rooms have been crowding with patients struggling to breathe.

In the Big Sur region of the Los Padres National Forest, about 200 people along a roughly 15-mile stretch of Highway 1 were ordered to leave their homes and businesses. Evacuation orders also remained in place for occupants of at least 75 homes who were forced to leave the region last week, as a 47,000-acre blaze burning through uninhabited forest land moved closer.

A small blaze in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara also prompted mandatory evacuations Tuesday evening. Officials said the fire had burned roughly 50 acres of heavy brush, and winds were pushing the fire down a slope toward homes in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

In the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, crews struggled to contain an 11,500-acre blaze there. Powerful gusts and choking smoke traveling up the steep canyons hampered their progress, and residents of neighboring towns were ordered to evacuate.

Even without the blazes, the farming towns and subdivisions dotting the valley are typically shrouded in a layer of smog during the summer. But airborne ash from the blazes caused such a spike in air pollution over the weekend that meteorologist Shawn Ferreria said it took his breath away.

"I went and bought a mask because my lungs were not happy with me," said Ferreria, a senior air quality specialist for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. "What we are experiencing is out of historical norms."

Officials had hoped a fog bank along the Northern California coast would help with fire suppression, but the moisture did not extend inland, said Brian Tentinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

Air district officials grew concerned that wind patterns could send more smoke billowing into the valley, which is bordered on three sides by mountains. Once the tiny particles of soot - which are blamed for triggering asthma and other respiratory problems - are carried inland, they're sealed in under a layer of warm air created by hot summer temperatures.

"Our waiting rooms are full of people with sore throats, itchy eyes and sniffles," said Kevin Hamilton, a respiratory therapist with Sequoia Community Health Center in Fresno.

Schools canceled outdoor activities and residents were warned to stay inside with the air conditioner running. For households lacking air conditioners, the district recommended families hole up in local malls.

"Since there's fires to the north, west and east of us we're kind of surrounded," said Gary Arcemont, a meteorologist with the Fresno-based air district. "Depending on what happens with the intensity and the winds in the next few days, we could be breathing the smoke from any of them."


]]> 2008-07-02T14:41:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/state_of_our_minnesota_economy/ {summary} Economic Development The Minnesota Economy is not substantially unaffected by events in the larger national economy and the data is reflecting it.

Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May jumped to 5.4 percent, up sixth-tenths of a point from April, at least in part as a result of substantial statewide job losses in April. This is the highest the unemployment rate has been since 1991. The number of people unemployed jumped to 158,404, its highest level since 1983. The share of the state’s working age population that is working dropped to 68.9 percent, its lowest since 1988.

The national unemployment rate rose half a point to 5.5 percent in May.

Knowledge is power and knowing what the stuation is is the forst step in dealing with it. Here is a link to the Minnesota Department of Economic Development's website giving further information.

READ MORE: Click HERE




]]> 2008-07-02T13:30:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/teen_summer_employment_is_bleak/ {summary} BLOG




(Rochester, MN) -- If you are a teen looking to supplement your income for summer then you will find a declining job opportunity market as we enter into recession.

Adding to your problems are challenges of finding tuition assistance, the rising cost of text books, the rising tuition rates, and the difficulty of obtaining loans. That is causing a lot of family planning sessions to occur.

The Minnesota Department of Economic Development has posted a good article on teen employment that can be read by Clicking HERE.




]]> 2008-07-02T13:19:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/tales_from_the_oversight_free_zone1/ {summary} POLITICAL CONTESTS 13 Americans Electrocuted at KBR Buildings in Iraq


Saint Paul [07/01/08] – As Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Norm Coleman failed to hold a single hearing on the waste, fraud, and abuse that sabotaged the reconstruction of Iraq. Today, the New York Times reports on yet another Tale from the Oversight-Free Zone.

According to a written statement to Congress by Gen. David Petraeus, 13 Americans – including 10 members of the Army, one Marine, and two contractors – have been electrocuted in Iraq at buildings maintained by Kellogg, Brown, & Root – a subsidiary of Halliburton.

Even worse, we now know that the government knew years ago that KBR had created a dangerous situation for American troops. The Times reports:

"Officials now acknowledge that Army experts warned as early as 2004 that poor electrical work by contractors was creating dangerous conditions for American soldiers. But those warnings were largely ignored.

"Since the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, tens of thousands of American troops have been housed in older Iraqi buildings. KBR and other companies have been paid millions of dollars to repair and upgrade the buildings, including their electrical systems."

This wasteful and dangerous neglect, like so many other Tales from the Oversight-Free Zone, took place while Chairman Coleman, who took thousands of dollars from Halliburton during his 2002 campaign, sat idly by.

Al Franken:

"The waste, fraud, and abuse that sabotaged the reconstruction of Iraq cost us billions of dollars in taxpayer money. And, tragically, it may have cost lives. As the Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Norm Coleman didn't hold contractors like his campaign contributor, Halliburton, accountable for their actions – and now we need to hold Norm Coleman accountable for his lack of action."

Link to New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/washington/01electrocute.html

Coleman Took $4,000 From Halliburton's PAC. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 2001 and 2002, Coleman's US Senate campaign accepted 4 $1,000 contributions from Halliburton's political action committee. [Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed 7/01/08]


]]> 2008-07-02T09:24:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/abeler_who_bucked_pawlenty_seeks_reelection/ {summary} POLITICAL CONTESTS

Jeff Wheeler,
Star Tribune


Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, was asked last month if he planned to run for reelection.

"I think I don't have much choice," he told the Star Tribune. "A few of us have become poster children for doing what you believe is right and surviving."

But can Abeler, one of six rogue Republican House members who voted to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a $6.6 million tax-raising transportation bill, survive this fall's elections to serve a sixth term at the Capitol?

Abeler, an Anoka chiropractor, was among the first in Anoka County to file for election Tuesday, said Rachel Smith, Anoka County elections manager. He couldn't be reached Tuesday, but said last month that he is reminded almost daily of the vote that seems to have defined his career.

Rep. Kathy Tingelstad of Andover, another of the rogue Republicans, said she is retiring from the House, but will campaign for Abeler.

"It's all about freedom and conscience," Abeler said last month. "Are we free to have a conscience and vote the way we believe?"

PAUL LEVY

]]> 2008-07-02T08:49:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/citibank_atm_breach_reveals_pin_security_problems/ {summary} BLOG


SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Hackers broke into Citibank's network of ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores and stole customers' PIN codes, according to recent court filings that revealed a disturbing security hole in the most sensitive part of a banking record.

The scam netted the alleged identity thieves millions of dollars. But more importantly for consumers, it indicates criminals were able to access PINs - the numeric passwords that theoretically are among the most closely guarded elements of banking transactions - by attacking the back-end computers responsible for approving the cash withdrawals.

The case against three people in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York highlights a significant problem.

Hackers are targeting the ATM system's infrastructure, which is increasingly built on Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Windows operating system and allows machines to be remotely diagnosed and repaired over the Internet. And despite industry standards that call for protecting PINs with strong encryption - which means encoding them to cloak them to outsiders - some ATM operators apparently aren't properly doing that. The PINs seem to be leaking while in transit between the automated teller machines and the computers that process the transactions.

"PINs were supposed be sacrosanct - what this shows is that PINs aren't always encrypted like they're supposed to be," said Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm. "The banks need much better fraud detection systems and much better authentication."

It's unclear how many Citibank customers were affected by the breach, which extended at least from October 2007 to March of this year and was first reported by technology news Web site Wired.com. The bank has nearly 5,700 Citibank-branded ATMs inside 7-Eleven Inc. stores throughout the U.S., but it doesn't own or operate any of them.

That responsibility falls on two companies: Houston-based Cardtronics Inc. (CATM), which owns all the machines but only operates some, and Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc. (FISV), which operates the others.

A critical issue in the investigation is how the hackers infiltrated the system, a question that still hasn't been answered publicly.

All that's known is they broke into the ATM network through a server at a third-party processor, which means they probably didn't have to touch the ATMs at all to pull off the heist.

They could have gained administrative access to the machines - which means they had carte blanche to grab information - through a flaw in the network or by figuring out those computers' passwords. Or it's possible they installed a piece of malicious software on a banking server to capture unencrypted PINs as they passed through.

What that means for consumers is that their PINs were stolen from machines that showed no signs of tampering they could detect. In previous PIN thefts, thieves generally took steps that might draw notice - sending "phishing" e-mails, for example, or installing false-front keypads or even tiny cameras on ATMs.

Getting the PINs is a key step for identity thieves. It lets criminals encode stolen account information onto blank ATM cards and withdraw piles of cash from compromised accounts.

Don Jackson, director of threat intelligence for SecureWorks Inc., said he has seen an "alarming" spike in the number of attacks on back-end computers for ATM networks over the past year.

"This was fairly large, but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary - these kinds of scams go on every day," Jackson said. "What makes this case unique is the sheer luck of happening upon these guys and catching them red-handed. But there are a whole lot of other ATM and PIN compromises going on that aren't reported."

The alleged plot is outlined in court papers supporting the prosecution of three people - Yuriy Rakushchynets, Ivan Biltse and Angelina Kitaeva. They were indicted in March on two counts each of conspiracy and fraud. Prosecutors say their activities generated at least $2 million in illegal profits.

Defense lawyers for all three people did not return calls for comment, and it was not clear where they had been living. The main defendant, Rakushchynets, was described as having Michigan and Florida's driver licenses in a February FBI affidavit for an arrest warrant.

Citibank, part of Citigroup Inc. (C), has declined to comment on the technique or how many customers' accounts were compromised. It said it notified affected customers and issued them new debit cards.

"We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts," the bank said in a statement.

Cardtronics said it is cooperating with authorities but otherwise declined to comment. Fiserv spokeswoman Melanie Tolley said the intrusion didn't happen on Fiserv's servers.

"Fiserv," she said, "is confident in the integrity and security of our system."


]]> 2008-07-02T08:40:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/javascriptvoid01/ {summary} BLOG


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Three of the state's governors have served time. Scores of legislators and aldermen have gotten into legal trouble over the years. But Illinois politicians haven't seriously considered impeaching one of their own - until now.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich finds his enemies these days boldly considering impeachment. The enemies? His fellow Democrats.

The tension boiled over recently when House Speaker Michael Madigan, the powerful head of the state Democratic Party and Blagojevich's main nemesis, circulated talking points to Democratic legislative candidates on how and why to call for impeachment hearings.

Specifically, it suggests excising "a tumor."

"Criminal activity in the Blagojevich administration is no longer theoretical - it is proven," Madigan's memo says. "The first step to cleaning up the mess and getting the state back on track may be to remove the governor from office."

The governor's aides downplay impeachment talk, saying it's merely an effort by Madigan to distract people from his role as a spoiler on key issues, including a state construction program.

Fighting between Blagojevich and Madigan over the state budget and related issues have led to two long stalemates at the state Capitol and a lawsuit over special sessions. Madigan, in fact, refuses to meet with the two-term governor for any reason.

The battle comes just a few years after Democrats benefited from the fallout caused by the previous unpopular governor, Republican George Ryan. In 2002, Democrats took control of the Legislature and governor's mansion for the first time in a quarter-century thanks to the scandals that eventually landed Ryan in prison.

An Illinois governor has never faced impeachment. Lawmakers considered impeaching a state Supreme Court justice a decade ago but didn't follow through. Legislative researchers could only find one impeachment proceeding against a judge in the 1830s, which ended with no conviction.


Illinois lawmakers have complete discretion to decide what merits impeachment. If the House votes to impeach, a trial would follow in the state Senate.

"It may not fly with the public, but if they wanted a strictly political impeachment ... they could proceed," said Jim Nowlan, a former state lawmaker and senior fellow with the Institute on Government and Political Affairs at the University of Illinois.

Impeachment talk started among several House Democrats after allegations that Blagojevich had discussed a state board chairmanship with a top donor. The trial resulted in another Blagojevich donor and friend, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, being convicted on 16 of 24 counts of government corruption.

Blagojevich has not been charged with any wrongdoing and denies the allegations.

Madigan's memo, first obtained by The Associated Press, gave impeachment a push into the spotlight.

It says the federal investigations into Blagojevich's administration have "significantly impaired his ability to do his job as governor" and reminds Democrats of what Republicans faced when scandal surrounded Ryan. It lists 30 Blagojevich "misdeeds," including insulting Madigan by calling him a "conservative Republican."

Republicans largely have stayed on the sidelines. They want Democrats to damage themselves with infighting but also want to accomplish key policy goals such as getting a new statewide construction program approved.

Blagojevich argues Madigan is using the memo to divert criticism of his own leadership flaws.

"It's time for the speaker to join the rest of the legislative leaders who have been working with the governor to pass a capital bill that will put thousands of people to work," Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said.

Madigan's spokesman and some allies insist the memo is not a statement of where the speaker stands but rather an aid for candidates who might need to answer questions on the issue.

Still, Madigan has done nothing to quell impeachment talk in the House, where Democrats have 67 of 118 votes.

Asked recently if it would take criminal charges against Blagojevich for the House to move forward, Madigan said, "It's going to take 60 votes in the House."


]]> 2008-07-02T08:31:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/dflers_claim_sen_colemans_dc_digs_break_senate_rules/ {summary} U.S. SENATE Minnesota's senior senator says he's only trying to cut living expenses by renting a tiny apartment from a friend.


By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE,
Star Tribune
June 30, 2008


Saying that Sen. Norm Coleman may be breaking U.S. Senate ethics rules, DFL Party chair Brian Melendez called on Coleman on Monday to produce his lease and other information on the Capitol Hill apartment he has rented since last summer from a longtime friend and wealthy Republican operative.

Referring to a National Journal article on Coleman's living arrangement that was posted last week, Melendez said he believes Minnesota's senior senator is making below-market monthly payments to rent garden-level living space in a row house owned by St. Paul businessman Jeff Larson.

Larson, whose telemarketing firm has provided services worth more than $1.5 million to Coleman's campaigns and political-action committee since 2001, is the CEO of the local host committee for September's Republican National Convention and was instrumental in bringing the convention to the Twin Cities.

Until April, Larson's wife worked in Coleman's St. Paul office on constituent requests.

At a State Capitol news conference, Melendez said Washington's Capitol Hill-area real estate listings show Coleman is getting a much better deal than other renters would for comparable quarters. DFL officials found similar apartments around the Capitol were fetching rent ranging from $1,100 to $1,450, while Coleman pays $600 a month.

"Senator Coleman is getting a sweetheart deal. He's paying far less than market value and far less than anyone else without his connections would pay. If you're not Norm Coleman, you don't get that kind of deal," Melendez said.

Coleman, a Republican who is being challenged for reelection by DFL candidate Al Franken, was not available for comment Monday. But last week he said he was simply renting "cramped space" from a friend to cut living expenses as his son enters law school and his daughter enters college.

His bedroom isn't quite 10 by 10 feet, he said, and he has a bathroom but no kitchen.

And he acknowledged not only that he had missed two monthly rent payments, but that he paid for another month by giving Larson some of his old furniture for the common area of the lower level, which is used as office space occasionally by a Larson employee. He has since set up an automatic withdrawal system for his rent checks.

"I take responsibility for any negative perceptions, but again, [Larson] is a friend, not a lobbyist," Coleman said. "There are no taxpayer dollars involved, no government contracts. ... No Senate rules have been violated. I have nothing to hide. At this point, I'll continue [to rent there]."

Melendez suggested that discounted rent could be considered a gift to Coleman. Senate rules, while strictly prohibiting gifts of more than $50, grant a bit more leeway for longtime friends and associates. Even then, gifts to senators of $250 or more from friends -- including discounts for lodging -- are prohibited unless first approved by the ethics committee.

Tom Steward, a Coleman spokesman, said the senator had gotten no such approval because he didn't need it.

"As the senator indicated to the National Journal and further articulated last Friday, he is paying fair market value for his cramped bedroom in a basement of a home in D.C. As our research shows, this rent is comparable to other rent in the D.C. area," Steward said.

Although Coleman makes $169,300 a year as a member of Congress, he's far from a wealthy man by Washington standards. Along with a house in St. Paul, his biggest asset is an individual retirement account of more than $500,000 carried over from his time as mayor.

The residence is on North Carolina Avenue S.E., a quiet street lined with classic row houses four blocks south of the Capitol. A Star Tribune reporter knocked on the door Monday, but a woman who answered declined to comment.

According to the National Journal, Larson rents the top floors of the house to a business partner on leave to work for the Republican National Committee.

Melendez said that a 2007 listing for the row house makes the accommodations sound much more comfortable than the "little room in the basement" that Coleman has described.

The three-story row house, which was listed for $989,900, has "a huge English basement with a media center, office space, gorgeous custom marble and oak bar plus an airy guest bedroom and bath," according to the real estate notice.

"This degree of mutual back-scratching ... is not acceptable," Melendez said. "And it's simply not enough for Coleman to say that he's trying to make ends meet by living at the house with an old friend, no matter how much he tries to downplay what he's getting there."



]]> 2008-07-01T12:09:00-06:00 http://www.therochesterdemocrat.com/index.php/weblog/norm_colemans_sweetheart_deal_may_violate_senate_ethics/ {summary} DFL Party News DFL Party calls on Coleman to come clean about all-too-cozy living arrangement with political-services operative


St. Paul (June 30, 2008) — Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez, at a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol, today asked Senator Norm Coleman to answer a range of questions raised by National Journal’s report late last week that describes Senator Norm Coleman’s cozy living situation in Washington. [National Journal, 6/28/08]

The Journal reported that Coleman rents a room in a million-dollar Capitol Hill townhome owned by Jeff Larson — a well-connected Republican campaign and corporate consultant and the principal architect of Coleman’s political career — for only $600 per month. For four out of the eleven months that Coleman has rented from Larson, Coleman did not pay the rent, paid the rent late, paid the rent with a check that Larson didn’t cash until the Journal asked about it, and once didn’t pay at all but instead bartered used furniture for rent. And for the last two years, Coleman has employed Larson’s wife in his St. Paul Senate office under her unmarried name.

Melendez presented evidence contradicting the understated description that Coleman and Larson gave the Journal of the space that Coleman rents, as well as evidence that Coleman is paying far less than market value — which may violate the Senate’s gift ban. According to Melendez,

“I have said that Senator Coleman is in bed with special interests. But now we know that he literally sleeps under the same roof that they do.

“Senator Coleman’s deal may violate the Senate’s clear ethics rules — and it definitely doesn’t pass the smell test.

“This cozy relationship between a United States senator and one of the most high-powered, well-connected operatives in Washington raises serious questions, not only about Norm Coleman’s ethics, but about his independence as an elected official and a legislator.

“Senator Coleman owes Minnesotans a full accounting of his sweetheart deal and at a minimum must provide a copy of his lease and any other written agreements he has made with Jeff Larson about this peculiar living situation. Minnesotans deserve nothing less.”

Melendez asked that Senator Coleman answer these questions:

· Just how did Coleman and Larson arrive at the 600-dollar monthly rent for the huge English basement?

· Did they check comparable listings in the area?

· Larson said that he was “merely trying to meet my mortgage” — but how much is that mortgage payment? A mere $600 a month can’t go very far to meet a nearly $700,000 mortgage in Washington, D.C.

· Did Larson require that Coleman pay any late fees, as is standard practice, when he paid his rent late?

· Who pays for the utilities?

· Is Coleman paying his share?

· If he isn’t, then who is paying for his share?

· How much of a security deposit did Coleman put down?

· The standard practice in Washington is at least one month’s rent.

· Can Coleman itemize the used furniture that he bartered for rent?

· Larson said that he and Coleman took pains not to overvalue the furniture.

· But evidently they didn’t take the same pains to determine the market value of the rent.

· Does Coleman use any other part of the house? How often?

· Finally, how extensively do employees of Larson’s company FLS-Connect use the living space for corporate business?

· What business do they conduct there, and how much contact does Coleman have with them?

Norm Coleman’s Sweetheart Deal with Well-Connected Washington Insider:

Coleman Lives in Million-Dollar Townhome at 140 North Carolina Ave., S.E. Owned by Jeff Larson

Assessment Record For DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County

Owner Information

Name:
JEFF LARSON

DORENE KAINZ



Address:
PO BOX 1324

HUDSON, WI 54016-5324

ST. CROIX COUNTY



Property Information

Property Address:
140 N CAROLINA AVE SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20003-1841

D.C. COUNTY

Land Use:
MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS (2+ UNITS)



Legal Information

Assessor's Parcel Number:
0734 0085

Recording Date:
03/20/2007

Brief Description:
SQUARE 0734 LOT 0085 NBHD: CAPITOL HILL

Legal Description:
CITY/MUNI/TWNSP: WARD 006


Sale Information

Recording Date:
03/20/2007

Sale Price:
$989,900 - FULL AMOUNT

Document Number:
38551



Assessment Information

Market Value Year:
2007

Market Land Value:
$400,270

Market Improvement Value:
$458,730

Total Market Value:
$859,000

Assessment Year:
2007

Total Assessed Value:
$859,000



Tax Information

Tax Amount:
$6,358.4

Tax Year:
2007



Property Characteristics

Year Built:
1909

Bedrooms:
4

Baths:
3

Partial Baths:
1

Total Rooms:
7

Fireplace:
1

Roof:
METAL

Building Area:
1,568 L LIVING

Air Conditioning:
YES

Heating:
YES

Exterior Walls:
BRICK/STONE

Square Footage:
2069 SF

Copyright© 2008 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-Estate Vitals:

Address: 140 North Carolina Avenue S.E., Washington DC 20003

Building Type: Row Inside
Building Style: 2 Story
Living Area: 1,568
Year Built: 1909
Bed Rooms: 4
Bath Rooms: 3
1/2 Bath Rooms: 1
Total Rooms: 7
Wall: Common Brick
Floor: Hardwood
Heat: Warm Cool
Air Conditioning: Yes
Fireplace(s): 1

Real Estate Website Listed “Simply Divine” 140 North Carolina Ave. S.E. as Having “Huge English Basement.” In February 2007, 140 North Carolina Ave. S.E. was placed on the market and listed on the website of Phyllis Jane Young Realty. Included in the listing is “a huge English basement with a media center, office space, gorgeous custom marble and oak bar plus an airy guest bedroom and bath…Simply Divine!” [Phyllis Jane Young Realty]

Tax Information:

Larson Purchased Property in March 2007 for Slightly Less Than $1 Million. On March 20, 2007 Larson purchased the property at 140 North Carolina Avenue, S.E. for $989,900. Larson purchased the home from Julia Jones and Jason Pugh. [District of Columbia Public Records]

Property Valued at $895,490. According to DC tax records Larson’s property at 140 North Carolina Avenue was valued at $895,490 in its preliminary 2009 tax year assessment. [District of Columbia Public Records]

LARSON SAID HE BOUGHT HOME SO “PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US WILL HAVE A PLACE TO STAY.”

Larson Said He Bought Home So “People Who Work For Us Will Have A Place To Stay.” Larson said he intended to use the town house as a place for him and other FLS-Connect employees to stay when they were in Washington. In the past, he said, he had found it difficult to book a hotel room when he visited Washington to consult with his Republican clients, including the RNC. “‘After I looked at what our company paid for hotel rooms, how hard it is to get a room in D.C.,’ Larson said, ‘I said, “I ought to just buy a place--people who work for us will have a place to stay.”’” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

LARSON TOOK OUT NEARLY $700,000 MORTGAGE ON HOME

Larson Took Out A Nearly $700,000 Mortgage On His Washington Home. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “Although they don't stay in Washington often, Larson and his wife bought the town house on Capitol Hill in March 2007 for $989,900--a decision that turned out to be a fortunate one for Coleman and a senior official at the Republican National Committee. Property records show that Larson and Kainz took out a $692,000 mortgage from Wells Fargo Bank.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

COLEMAN SPORADICALLY PAID $600 TO LIVE IN “SIMPLY DIVINE” ENGLISH BASEMENT SINCE JULY 2007

Coleman Has Lived In Larson’s Apartment Since July 2007. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “In July 2007, Coleman began paying Larson $600 a month in rent for a portion of a one-bedroom basement apartment in a Capitol Hill town house that Larson owns.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

FACT: Coleman Has Been Late, Missed, or Bartered for Rent for at Least Four of the 11 Months He Has Lived There.

Coleman Paid Several Months’ Rent Late. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “Coleman and Larson have had a rather loose arrangement when it comes to the senator's monthly $600 rent payments. Copies of the checks they provided to National Journal showed that the checks were often written nine or more days after the first of the month. Larson didn't cash a check written on March 10 until June 17--after NJ questioned Coleman and Larson about their arrangement.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

Coleman Missed Two Months’ Rent. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “Earlier this month, after National Journal questioned Coleman and Larson about the living arrangement, the senator said he discovered that his rent for last November and January had not been paid. In mid-June, Coleman covered the back rent with a personal check for $1,200 made out to Larson and signed by the senator's wife.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

Coleman Sold His Own Furniture to Larson to Cover One Month’s Rent. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “To cover one month's rent, Coleman sold Larson a couch, a table and chairs, and a desk from his old apartment. How did they determine that the furniture was worth $600? Larson: ‘We just looked at it, estimated it was $600 and one month's rent. We were always conflicted--if it was too high, somebody would say it's not worth that much. We erred on the side of taking one month's rent, valued at $600.’” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

Ø Coleman’s Living Space Includes His Old Furniture. According to the June 2008 National Journal Article Coleman still has use of the furniture he used to barter one of twelve months rent: “Coleman has a bedroom and a bathroom in Larson's town house and shares the remaining living space, which includes his old couch, table, and chairs, with FLS Connect. A company employee uses a portion of the apartment to work and take calls on some days, according to Larson. ‘There's no kitchen. There's a sink,’ Coleman said, in describing the apartment. ‘And there's a little refrigerator that I keep water in. There's no cooking, no nothing.’” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

Coleman Implied He Lives in Cramped Bedroom. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, “The way Coleman explained the arrangement, the apartment serves as a crash pad. The 58-year-old senator sleeps in a bed shoehorned into a 10-by-10 bedroom, and he said he spends perhaps only ‘three waking hours a night’ in the place…Larson also described Coleman's living arrangements: ‘He has one bedroom in the back. I was actually surprised [the bed] fits into it. Somehow, he jumps into it at night and has just a bathroom, sink, and small refrigerator.’ He said that the apartment does not even have a stove.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

COLEMAN PAYS WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE FOR RENTAL OF CAPITOL HILL ENGLISH BASEMENT

CLAIM: Coleman Claimed He Was Not Given a Special Deal On Rent; Claimed Other Members of Congress Also Pay $600 a Month to Rent Rooms.

Coleman Claimed Other Members of Congress Also Pay $600 a Month in Rent for Rooms. According to the June 2008 National Journal article, Coleman “insisted that Larson hadn't given him a special deal. Coleman said that before taking the place, he had consulted colleagues in Congress who rent rooms, and they, too, paid ‘600 bucks’ a month in rent.” [National Journal, 6/28/08]

FACT: $600 A Month Is Well Below Market Value for an English Basement on Capitol Hill.

Search For “$600 Capitol Hill English Basement” Produced 0 Results. A search for a Capitol Hill English basement with $600 monthly rent on two major housing outlets (Craigslist.org, Washington Post-Apartments.com) produced 0 results. [craigslist.org , apartments.com, accessed 6/27/08]

“Cozy One Bedroom” Two Blocks From Coleman’s Apartment Listed At $1450/Month. On Craigslist, a one bedroom apartment just two blocks from Coleman’s apartment was listed as “$1450 / 1br - Cozy One Bedroom- Captiol Hill (326 North Carolina Ave SE), “Beautiful one bdrm on Capitol Hill w/ washer and dryer; dishwasher. The apartment is just 5 minutes walk either Captiol [sic] South or Eastern Market Metros. Near resturants, [sic] pubs, Eastern Farmers Martket, [sic] banks and US Postal Office. The apartment building is located on a quite street and in a quite building. 326 North Carolina Ave, SE at Pennsylvania Ave SE.” [craigslist.org, accessed 6/27/08]



$1325 A Month For A “Beautiful Studio” In An Apartment Building 2 Blocks From Coleman’s Million Dollar Crash Pad. According to craigslist, a “beautiful studio” just two blocks from Coleman’s apartment was listed at $1325 “Beautiful Studio Apartment located in the heart of Capitol Hill just minutes walk from Eastern Market or Captiol [sic] South Metro. The unit in located near many bank, pubs, resturants[sic] and US Post Office. The unit has w/w carpet. w/d, d/w. All utilities included except electric and cable 326 North Carolina Avenue SE at Pennsylvania Ave SE” [http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/apa/730017292.html, accessed 6/28/08]

English Basement Studio At 716 North Carolina Listed At $1100/Month.

Rent: $1,100
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Building Type: House
Bedrooms: Studio
Bathrooms: 1 bath
Pets: No pets allowed
Parking: No
Map: 716 N. Carolina Ave. SE, 20003
Capitol Hill Studio
posted 06/04/2008

English Basement efficiency unit located in the heart of Capitol Hill across from Eastern Market. Kitchen, bath, carpeting, and a/c. Available July. $1,100 + electric call 571-242-7983

[http://classifieds.washingtoncitypaper.com/washington/ViewAd?oid=oid%3A555839, accessed 6/29/08]

$950 To Share Capitol Hill English Basement With Roommate Whose Boyfriend Sleeps Over Once Or Twice A Week:

Roommate needed to share English basement apartment, move in Aug 1(negotiable). About the apartment: $950 per month includes all utilities except for electric. Apartment includes shared living space, bathroom and kitchen and small patio. For an English basement, lots of light. I have furniture (couch, etc.) but additions welcome, depending on space. Comes with dishwasher and brand new washer/dryer. Location: Apartment is exactly 3 blocks from Capitol South metro and House office buildings, 15-20 minute walk to Senate, 3-4 blocks from bars/restaurants on Pennsylvania Ave, and 5 blocks from Eastern Market. Plenty of street parking (although must get zone 6 sticker). Surrounded by two parks, so tends to be a family environment. Three blocks to 395. What I'm looking for: early to mid twenties professional female, non-smoker, no pets, no drugs. Someone friendly, courteous, easygoing, clean, responsible, respectful, sociable. Friendly, relaxed living environment is important, so I'd love to find someone with whom I can be friendly /share occasional meal. Don't mind a boyfriend/friends, but don't want a third roommate, either. Must be able to sign 8 mo to 1 yr lease and pass credit check. About me: 24 year old female who works downtown, non-smoker, liberal, from Boston, went to college around here and just stayed after. I enjoy happy hour/glasses of wine and going out on weekends, although I'm not a huge partier and would prefer my future roommate not to be, either. I have a boyfriend who sleeps over once or twice a week, so roommate would have to be OK with that. If interested, please email me and tell me about yourself and provide, if possible, a link to Facebook.” [http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/roo/732489783.html, accessed 6/28/08]

DID COLEMAN VIOLATE THE SENATE GIFT BAN?

Senators May Not Accept Gift over $50 From any One Source in One Calendar Year. Under ethics rule 35 from the U.S. Senate Committee on Ethics, “Under Rule 35, a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate may generally not accept any one gift valued at $50 or more, or gifts with an aggregate value of $100 or more, from any one source in a calendar year.” “[T]he term ‘‘gift’’ means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. The term includes gifts of services, training, transportation, lodging, and meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reim