Posted by Joel Mathis April 19, 2005 at 8:52 a.m.

A private battle goes public

Pat Roberts links [(The Hill) Rockefeller brings intel case to the Senate floor:][1] Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is taking the unusual step of bringing to the Senate floor a partisan dispute between the members of the normally secretive panel. Rockefeller's action comes shortly after the panel's chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), clamped down on information about the committee's proceedings during a closed-door business meeting that took place last Thursday. The Democrat had intended to press Roberts again on initiating an investigation of the intelligence community's treatment of detainees captured in the war on terrorism. Sam Brownback links [(Wichita Eagle) Officials huddle to help convicts leaving prison:][2] "I urge you to be bold" in developing approaches to reduce recidivism, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback told the group. "This should be the great laboratory for the country." In some ways, it already is: The Shawnee County Re-entry Program has become a model for other pilot projects around the state, officials said, and a Christian program for inmates at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility has reduced recidivism to 10 percent. Brownback wants the federal government to join in the effort as well. Sometime in the next several days, he said, he will introduce the Second Chance Act, which will offer money for programs created to help inmates ease back into society. [(Reuters) Asbestos Plan Timetable May Lengthen:][3] The proposed fund would be financed by companies facing asbestos lawsuits and their insurers. Victims would no longer be able to sue, but would have to go to the fund. ... Brownback said on Monday he was among several Republicans on the committee who were proposing "three or four" changes they felt needed to be made to the draft proposal and would probably need more time to work them out. He declined to give details of the changes they sought. [(NPR.org) For White House Hopefuls, 2008 Is Now:][4] But Frist the presidential candidate must also keep an eye on his rivals for the nomination, lest he be flanked and forced to the sideline early. Among these rivals may be three Senate colleagues who are favorites of the religious conservatives: Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Sam Brownback of Kansas and George Allen of Virginia. Jerry Moran links [(Topeka Capital-Journal)Moran starts county tour:][5] Cruising around Kansas with Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., can quickly drain a gas tank. The five-term congressman from Hays began his annual "listening tour" on Monday, stopping in four Kansas communities to discuss hot topics in Congress and to rub shoulders with constituents. Todd Tiahrt links [(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Raptor has lots of friends:][6] In hearings and private meetings, they have been careful to emphasize the military need for the F/A-22, which they say exists because India has already produced a plane that can beat U.S. jets, and Russia and China are about to do the same. ... "We certainly have people who are tied to the F/A-22," said Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), a former Boeing manager whose Wichita area district includes Brittain and other aerospace firms. "And I'm concerned that we have good-quality jobs for them. But the F/A-22 is an aircraft with a very important role to play in our national defense."How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][7] [1]: http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/041905/rockefeller.html [2]: http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local/crime_courts/11430004.htm [3]: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=8217629 [4]: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4605774 [5]: http://cjonline.com/stories/041905/kan_moranstarts.shtml [6]: http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/0405/17lobby.html [7]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed