Posted by Joel Mathis July 15, 2005 at 10:06 a.m.

Rove, North Korea and the economy

Pat Roberts links [(Muslim American Society) Military Declines Disciplining Former Guantanamo Commander:][1] But Republican supporters of President George W. Bush have expressed surprise at criticism of the camp and the officers running it. Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said "I am in no way condoning these incidents, but I don't think they are a matter of national press attention."[(Houston Chronicle) Senate Democrats' measure aimed at Bush adviser fails:][2] The controversy over White House adviser Karl Rove spilled onto the Senate floor Thursday when Democrats unsuccessfully sought to withhold classified information from federal officials who disclose the identity of covert CIA agents. ... Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., warned Democrats that "in your zeal to hang Karl Rove," lawmakers had proposed a poorly crafted amendment that could have unintentional effects. The Democratic amendment failed on a vote of 53-44.[(Kansas City Star) Fort Riley facing shortage of housing for troops:][3] Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, a Republican member of the Armed Services Committee, has proposed a partial solution to change rules that govern a low-income housing tax credit to allow more military families to benefit from it. Currently, the military housing allowance makes many military families ineligible for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit because between the allowance and their salaries, families make too much. Roberts wants the housing allowance to no longer count toward eligibility. Section 8 housing voucher assistance for civilian families doesn't count as income, he says.Sam Brownback links [(Washington Post) Senator Drops Plan to Allow Use of D.C. Vouchers in Va., Md. Schools:][4] A key Republican senator withdrew his proposal yesterday to allow District voucher students to attend private high schools in Maryland and Virginia, saying there was not enough time to pass legislation to help about 50 students who lack spaces for this fall. "I will not be pursuing any changes to the District of Columbia school voucher program at this time," Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on the District, said in a statement. "With next fall's school season quickly approaching, it's become clear it would be difficult to implement any changes that would have a positive impact before students returned to class." [(National Review commentary) Murder's Row Rules:][5] Happily, President Bush unhesitatingly denounced Iran's mullahcracy for its barbaric treatment of Ganji, and his forthright support of freedom has been echoed by Senators Sam Brownback, Rick Santorum, and Joe Biden. Even the European Union felt compelled to support Ganji in an usually blunt demand for his release. Others may well follow, as they should.[(Washington Post, via Knight Ridder) New CPB chairman tapped:][6] Cheryl Halpern, who was appointed to the CPB board by President Bush three years ago, is in line to replace Kenneth Tomlinson as the head of the agency that distributes federal funds to noncommercial radio and TV stations and serves as a buffer between public broadcasting and politicians seeking to influence its news reporting and programming. ... Mother Jones magazine ranked the Halperns among the nation's top 100 "hard" money donors (contributions made directly to candidates, not party organizations) and said they contributed a total of $81,800 to, among others, Bush and Republican Sens. Trent Lott, R-Miss., Sam Brownback, R-Kan., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Christopher Bond, R-Mo.[(USA Today) Rights meeting spotlights N. Korea abuses at key diplomacy time:][7] One week before the United States resumes nuclear weapons talks with North Korea after a yearlong delay, the Bush administration is sponsoring a conference on North Korean human rights that threatens to undermine the negotiations. ... Others invited to speak include Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's ethics and religious liberty commission, and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. Brownback, in an interview two years ago, said he hoped to encourage an exodus of North Korean refugees to China, adding that "if this destabilizes the regime, great!"Todd Tiahrt links [(Marketwatch) GOP group forms around business issues:][8] U.S. economic woes are "the culmination of a generation of increased regulation, unsound tax policies, languishing emphasis on math and science education, unchecked health care costs, rampant lawsuit abuse, unfocused research and development funds, lack of a comprehensive energy policy and weak trade policy enforcement," said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., who is chairman of the new Economic Competitiveness Caucus.How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][9] [1]: http://www.masnet.org/news.asp?id=2615 [2]: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3267059 [3]: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/12135537.htm [4]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/14/AR2005071401774.html [5]: http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/leeden200507150807.asp [6]: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/12136515.htm [7]: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-07-15-korea-rights_x.htm [8]: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B9DDF6D05-0EB6-4E4A-8A07-C02674221F02%7D&siteid=google [9]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed