Lucas Questions Geithner
Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, questioned Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at a hearing today about the plan to use public money and private investors to clear toxic assets off the books of banks, and about executive compensation.
Boren to Talk on House Floor This Afternoon; Inhofe on Senate
Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, is scheduled to talk about colorectal cancer on the House floor today. Looks now like it will be about 3:30 p.m. (central), but I’ll update you. Boren has authored legislation to require insurance companies to cover the costs of screening for the cancer, from which Boren’s mother, Janna, died ten years ago. Boren’s speech will be on C-SPAN.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, is expected to be speaking about the same time today on the Senate floor, C-SPAN 2, regarding Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.
Albaugh Sentencing Update
It appears John Albaugh, the long-time aide to former Oklahoma Congressman Ernest Istook, won’t be sentenced in federal court in Washington anytime soon for conspiring to help a lobbyist get road projects in exchange for meals and tickets to concerts and other events.
Albaugh’s attorneys filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Washington last week asking permission for Albaugh to move from South Carolina, where he’s having trouble finding work, to Colorado Springs.
In that motion, his attorneys wrote, “In light of his cooperation with the government, it does not appear that the sentencing will take place in the near future.”
Albaugh was Istook’s chief of staff for many years and his top aide on the House Appropriations Committee. According to the information to which Albaugh pleaded guilty last June, Albaugh used his position on the committee to help clients of imprisoned ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff get road projects.
Albaugh was close to Kevin Ring, a lobbyist who worked for Abramoff, who has been indicted in the far-reaching scandal. Unlike many of the lobbyists and congressional staff people who have been implicated, Ring is fighting the charges against him.
Albaugh’s original sentencing date in September was changed because of Albaugh’s cooperation. No new date was set, though the Justice Department indicated they wanted to brief the judge on the status of Albaugh’s sentencing on April 17.
Istook has said that he was interviewed by the FBI regarding Albaugh’s case but is not a target of the investigation.
Obama on Gitmo
Some of Oklahoma’s lawmakers have been alarmed at the idea that prisoners now being held in Guantanamo Bay could be moved to the United States, possibly even Oklahoma, if the Cuban prison is shut down by the Obama administration.
The stockade at Fort Sill has been mentioned as a possible holding place for Gitmo prisoners. However, the correctional facility was ordered to be shut down by the 2005 base closure commission; the operations were to be consolidated at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. That hasn’t happened yet, and a Fort Sill spokesperson said last month there was no timetable for shutting down the Fort Sill facility.
During a press briefing last week, President Barack Obama was asked about the possibility of Gitmo prisoners moving to Fort Leavenworth:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. You named a special envoy today to oversee the closure of Guantanamo. I’d like to ask you about that. Among the places being — possibly being considered as an alternative to those prisons is Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. There’s a wall of opposition –
THE PRESIDENT: Where my mother was born, by the way.
Q Exactly. There’s a wall of opposition to that — local officials, people in the area and plus from the congressional delegations of those states. How would you explain the rationale between the possibility — if a place like Leavenworth would be chosen, the rationale behind that, and reassuring people of their safety and security?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, keep in mind we haven’t made any decisions on this. But also recognize that these individuals who have been imprisoned, many of whom are very violent or who have been detained, many of whom are violent and are pledging violence against the United States, once captured are similar to criminals who have engaged in violence of other types. They are a serious risk, but so are many of the people who are currently in prison. And we would not — we would never put people into a situation that elevated the risks for surrounding communities. And that will obviously be something that we take very seriously as we’re making these decisions moving forward.
But we already have experience with terrorists who are in federal prisons. And there’s been no indication that the safety and security of prison guards or the surrounding communities have been compromised as a consequence. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a serious issue. I recognize why people are concerned. We haven’t made any firm decisions on this yet. But I have every confidence that we can determine the ultimate fates of those in Guantanamo in a way that’s consistent with our values, consistent with our ideals, and that keeps us safe and secure.
Edwards Says Investigate
Former Oklahoma congressman Mickey Edwards, a Republican, argues in a piece in Politico today that Congress should examine the expansion of executive branch power in the Bush administration.
OK Clout Climbs
Oklahoma’s congressional delegation has six Republicans and one Democrat, meaning that most of its members are in the minority.
Moreover, the delegation is relatively young in terms of its seniority.
Neither of those two factors bodes well for its clout in Congress. But Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, says the state’s clout moved up dramatically in the last couple of months, from near the bottom to closer to the middle of the pack.
Inhofe Applauds Probe of Leak
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said Tuesday that he’s glad a government investigator is pursuing his request to probe the leak of a sensitive document last year.
Inhofe said the Inspector General at the Commerce Department has issued a subpoena to the National Wildlife Federation as part of the investigation.
The leaked document was a draft of a new proposal by the Bush administration regarding the Endangered Species Act.
Inhofe requested an investigation of the leak last August.
He said Tuesday, “As we work to provide more accountability and increase transparency in our government, it is imperative we hold those who break the rules responsible.
“Maintaining the integrity of the interagency review process is of the utmost importance. Therefore, the unauthorized release of such potentially controversial, yet critically-needed regulatory reforms indicates a serious abdication of duty among one of the Services’ personnel.
“Importantly, no one disputes a rule was broken. To get to the bottom of this, I requested the IG’s office to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable. I applaud the IG for moving forward on this investigation. It’s simply the right thing to do.”
Coburn Sitting Tight on Reelection Plans
Many people here expect Sen. Tom Coburn to seek another term next year, but the Muskogee Republican isn’t ready to make an announcement.
In an interview last week, Coburn said, “I ran for the Senate (in 2004) because I felt like I was called to run for the Seante. It was something I’m supposed to do. And I’m not about to announce to run again until I know I’m called to do that. And until I know that, I’m sitting tight.”
Coburn said he didn’t want to be here if his heart wasn’t in it.
“Can you imagine me being here and not being involved? Just coasting? How good would that be for Oklahoma if I was just here coasting, just collecting a check and being one of the boys?
“If I’m going to be here, I need to know I’m supposed to be here. It’s something that’s on my mind a lot.
“I’m prepared when I announce, if I announce, I will have everything set to do what I need to do to win this election big-time, big-time. And if I run, I relish anyone who wants to run against me. I can’t wait to have the debates.”
Some of the speculation about Coburn’s plans has focused on the fact that he has relatively little money in his campaign account _ less than $55,000 at the end of 2008.
In the 2004 race against former U.S. Rep. Brad Carson, Coburn spent $5 million.
However, Coburn raised that money despite not announcing for the race until March of that year. And, so far, no big-name Democrats have signaled an interest in running against him.
In fact, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation, Rep. Dan Boren, said he won’t run against Coburn.
“I’m not worried about raising money,” Coburn told me.
He said he didn’t want to start raising money until he’s sure he’s going to run again.
“Is it unethical to ask people to give you money for an election you’re not sure you’re going to run in? I think it is. You’re asking people to give you money for something you haven’t committed to.”
Coburn said he had no internal timetable for making a decision.
If he did decide against running, a lot of prominent Oklahoma names would likely be interested, including Boren and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Moore.
Coburn on Earmarks
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, gave an impassioned speech on Tuesday about some provisions in the $410 bill spending bill the Senate is considering this week. It’s a bit lengthy and if you’re time-pressed (and who isn’t?) you might want to skip to the last ten minutes of it, when he’s talking about specific pork-barrel projects.
