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TOP STORIES
Democrats' Momentum Is Stalling
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402262.html
In the heady opening weeks of the 110th Congress, the Democrats' domestic agenda appeared to be flying through the Capitol: Homeland security upgrades, a higher minimum wage and student loan interest rate cuts all passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. But now that initial progress has foundered as Washington policymakers have been consumed with the debate over the Iraq war. Not a single priority on the Democrats' agenda has been enacted, and some in the party are growing nervous that the "do nothing" tag they slapped on Republicans last year could come back to haunt them. "We cannot be a one-trick pony," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who helped engineer his party's takeover of Congress as head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "People voted for change, but Iraq, the economy and Washington, D.C., [corruption] all tied for first place. We need to do them all."
RELATED: Boehner says GOP will want results in Iraq
Troops at Odds With Ethics Standards
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402151.html
More than one-third of U.S. soldiers in Iraq surveyed by the Army said they believe torture should be allowed if it helps gather important information about insurgents, the Pentagon disclosed yesterday. Four in 10 said they approve of such illegal abuse if it would save the life of a fellow soldier. In addition, about two-thirds of Marines and half the Army troops surveyed said they would not report a team member for mistreating a civilian or for destroying civilian property unnecessarily. "Less than half of Soldiers and Marines believed that non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect," the Army report stated. About 10 percent of the 1,767 troops in the official survey -- conducted in Iraq last fall -- reported that they had mistreated civilians in Iraq, such as kicking them or needlessly damaging their possessions.
RELATED: Survey sheds light on battlefield ethics in Iraq
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-05-04-battlefield-ethics_N.htm
Attempts to Curb Illegal Immigration Prove Costly
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501063.html
As cities across the United States spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend against lawsuits and other challenges to their ordinances enacted to keep out illegal immigrants, some groups are warning that their communities are risking financial disaster. Dozens of cities and counties have proposed or passed laws that prohibit landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, penalize businesses that employ undocumented workers or train police to enforce federal immigration laws. Approval of these ordinances has generated criticism, demonstrations and lawsuits in Valley Park, Mo.; Riverside, N.J.; Escondido, Calif.; Hazleton, Pa., and the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch.
Resisting Sin City, candidates give in to Nevada
The Strip dazzles like a giant fishing lure, dangling promises of easy money, sex, and margaritas-by-the-yard inside grand hotels that make up America's most notorious adult theme park. It could also be a potential minefield this campaign season for stressed-out candidates and their staff members, who must maneuver through a difficult political landscape while resisting the temptations of Sin City. After all, the current governor, Jim Gibbons, won election last year despite allegations during the heat of the campaign that the Mormon politician shoved a casino cocktail waitress against a wall when she refused his sexual advances. Gibbons said he was just helping her keep from falling. Yet candidates don't dare duck the state. Since Nevada brought forward its presidential caucuses to next January, the Silver State has become one of the must-visit states for candidates hoping to secure an early victory and gain momentum going into the Feb. 5 slew of primaries.
RELATED: California Gains Clout With Earlier Primary
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/us/politics/07campaign.html?ref=us
RELATED: National Parties Uneasy as States Rush Primaries
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050401087.html
Today’s complete national news
Colorado
Session wraps up early
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5522108,00.html
A legislative session that began on a historic note ended on one Friday, with lawmakers finishing a record five days early and overturning the first gubernatorial veto in almost two decades. Republicans and Democrats duked it out over the Iraq war, labor union legislation and a property tax freeze that the GOP ripped as a tax hike. But they agreed on much, from doubling renewable energy standards to fixing mortgage fraud problems to making prescription drugs more affordable for the working poor. "It was a fairly peaceful session, and we were able to end early because of that," said House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker. Food and flowers were everywhere on Friday, as lawmakers mixed business with pleasure. The House adjourned at 3:23 p.m. The Senate followed at 3:42 p.m. Lawmakers capped their final day by overriding Gov. Bill Ritter's veto of their instructions on how to spend next year's budget. The issue has been a long-standing tug of war between the executive and legislative branches.
RELATED: Ritter's spending plan veto overridden
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5521878,00.html
RELATED: Session ends 5 days early
RELATED: Session wraps up early as Dems declare victory
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5828127
RELATED: Legislature rebuffs Ritter
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5819417
RELATED: Tapia leads override of Long Bill notes
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1178344800/15
RELATED: Legislative session ends, but controversy lingers
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1178344800/4
A Senate without Fitz-Gerald at the helm?
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5829416
Pollster Floyd Ciruli said he was unsure Fitz-Gerald would have to take the drastic step of resigning her seat, given her stature in the party. "I think you'll have to see how it develops," he said. "She walks into this with some advantages, the first being a sense of reward, that she is one of the people that has helped to engineer the Democratic takeover (of the legislature). She also has a powerful track record to run on." Still, Polis and a third candidate in the race, William Shafroth, have the potential to be formidable opponents. Polis is an Internet entrepreneur who spent $1 million just to get elected to a state board of education seat. He also bankrolled the troubled Amendment 41, which brought 2nd Congressional District politics to the Capitol this year as lawmakers scrambled to clarify the broad ban on gifts to lawmakers and government workers. Shafroth, executive director of the Colorado Conservation Trust, is an active resident in the 2nd CD. "I think just like with Hillary and Obama, it's hard to find room for him. But he is very qualified," Ciruli said. Fitz-Gerald is not the only state senator looking at a potential congressional run. Standing with her last week at a podium for Gov. Bill Ritter's signing of a law seeking to prevent the Army from taking more southeastern Colorado ranchland was Sen. Brandon Shaffer.
Inquiry eyes election worker
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5521831,00.html
Secretary of State Mike Coffman said Friday his office is investigating whether one of its employees violated department rules by not disclosing he was operating a political Web site as a side business. The decision to launch the investigation into Dan Kopelman came after a blogger notified the Secretary of State's Office this week that he was operating a Web site, "Political Live Wires," while working in the elections division, Coffman said. Kopelman was told to remove the Web site, which he did on Thursday, Coffman added. Kopelman, who started working in the Secretary of State's Office in January, is on leave unrelated to the investigation, and his future employment is expected to be determined when he returns Tuesday, Coffman said. Kopelman could not be reached for comment Friday.Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party, demanded he be fired.
Ritter may wait for studies before signing off on leasing
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/05/05/5_5_1a_Ritter_oil_shale.html
Gov. Bill Ritter may not give a thumbs-up to commercial oil shale leasing in the Piceance Basin until the cumulative environmental impacts of both oil shale and natural gas development are made public, Colorado Department of Natural Resources Assistant Director Mike King said Friday at the “Fueling Thought” energy symposium in Craig. “The stakes are really high here,” said King, who sits on the federal Strategic Unconventional Fuels Task Force, which will soon recommend to Congress how oil shale production can be expedited. “There are so many unanswered questions, you got to get it right.” The Bureau of Land Management may be listening.
RELATED: Less dependence
http://craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/26451
RELATED: Presenters at summit give wide range of energy perspective
http://craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/26450
RELATED: Energy boom to have downside, official says
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/05/06/5_6_3a_Boom_drawback.html
Today’s complete Colorado news
Today’s complete daily news: http://media.progressnowaction.org/digest/050707.htm
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