Category: Bryan McGonigle
Republicans May Have to Handle the ‘Angry Voter’
Angervote
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Nov. 1, 2006
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 – The Republican Party has more money than the Democratic Party going into next week’s mid-term elections. But analysts say anger may trump cash this year, and there’s plenty of anger to go around.
“Barring a dramatic event, we are looking at the prospect of GOP losses in the House of at least 20 to 35 seats, possibly more, and at least four in the Senate, with five or six most likely,” Charlie Cook, publisher of The Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections, wrote on the organization’s Web site Monday. “This year, it is the war in Iraq and scandals… . It would seem that voters of all ideological stripes feel the GOP-led Congress has become dysfunctional.”
The Republican-controlled Congress has an approval rating of 16 percent, according to a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, and President Bush’s approval rating lingers at below 40 percent. This party disapproval and dissatisfaction with a seemingly endless war, according to many experts, could be a strong enough factor to deflect the Republican money machine.
Democrats in many key races have gained substantial leads in the polls, and analysts are predicting a Democratic takeover of the House and possibly the Senate.
But Brian Darling, director of government relations at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group in Washington, said the polls are misleading and the Republicans shouldn’t be counted out yet.
“The polls indicate the American people are dissatisfied with both parties,” Darling said. “Those projections are changing. Most of these races are tightening up, and the pundits are modifying their predictions. Americans are pretty evenly divided, and this election will reflect that.”
Darling said that the Iraq war approval-disapproval ratings show a growing dissatisfaction with the war, and that this will play a factor in voting. But the numbers, he said, don’t necessarily reflect which party people will vote for.
“Some of the opposition is the antiwar sentiment,” he said. “But another side is our conservatives that want to see progress in Iraq. So we’re having dissatisfaction from the right and the left on the issue. Clearly the president doesn’t use ‘stay the course’ anymore.”
Nathan Gonzales, political editor of The Rothenberg Political Report, said it’s unclear how massive the “angry vote” will be, but issues like the war and congressional scandals could hurt Republicans.
“I think the war in Iraq is certainly an issue in a lot of these races, because it feeds into a big reason why people disapprove of the job President Bush is doing,” Gonzales said. “It may not affect hardcore partisans, but it is certainly affecting soft Republicans and independents.”
The online sex scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., will affect various districts on a local level but will not have a national impact, Gonzales said.
“As a blanket message, I don’t think it’s sticking,” he said.
President Bush has been scarcely shown in Republican ads nationwide, but he’s been in many Democratic ads linking Republican candidates to Bush and what the ads call the president’s failed policies. That hasn’t stopped the president from campaigning in largely Republican districts.
“President Bush is going to districts where the base needs to be rallied and the base needs to be unified,” Gonzales said.
Darling said the Republicans can chop away at Democratic leads by getting back to the GOP’s platform of slimming government and calling for less spending.
“I guess the mistake that many conservatives feel the Republicans have made are they spent too much money, they’ve embraced big government, they’ve been too supportive of earmarks,” Darling said. “And those in the conservative movement have looked at the Republican Party to make a pledge to do away with earmarks.”
Gonzales said it’s all about the district, and that a Republican candidate in an angry district would “need to convince the voters that the Democratic opponent is an unacceptable alternative.”
Aaron McLear, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said Republicans should focus on the economic benefits of the Bush tax cuts and remind voters of the progress the party has made in the war on terror with legislation like the Patriot Act.
“The question is, what did we learn on 9/11?” McLear said. “We need to take to be on the offensive in the war on terror.”
McLear said that while the polls may favor Democrats now, they don’t reflect the Republicans’ ability to mobilize their voters on election day.
“I think we showed in 2004, when people saw Kerry winning, the Democrats didn’t see our sophisticated means of getting the vote out,” he said.
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Meehan Boosts Fundraising Efforts, Brushes off Blog Allegations
Demscash
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 26, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26--Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., says he is on a fundraising frenzy for his party, despite a liberal activist group’s asserting that he needs to loosen his pockets.
Meehan held a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee with former President Bill Clinton at a home in Weston Wednesday, which he said collected more than $1million. But Meehan was a focus of a blog campaign last week by Moveon.org, which accused him of hoarding his money and not contributing enough to Democratic efforts to win control of Congress.
The group urged 70 House members with at least $200,000 in campaign money who do not face competitive races to donate 30 percent of their money to the campaign committee.
Meehan is running unopposed this election, and he has more money in his account than any other member of the House – about $4.9 million. He doesn’t take contributions from political action committees and relies on fundraisers and individual contributions for his campaign money.
He has paid his dues, set at $125,000, and, before his recent fundraiser, had raised about $250,000 for the committee this election cycle.
Dues for House Democrats this election cycle were set at $100,000 to $600,000, depending on whether the members hold leadership positions or senior committee assignments.
“The DCCC, thanks to my efforts and other Democratic members who have raised money for them, has raised more money than any other election in the history of the party,” Meehan said.
He added that the committee hasn’t bothered him about his contributions. Committee spokesman Bill Burton said he was unaware of any conflict between the committee and Meehan, adding that members are not the only ones asked to donate more money.
“We’re going to members, old-time donors, new-time donors, brothers, sisters, parents,” Burton said. “We’re asking anybody with a checkbook to help out.”
“The fact is that only one percent of the Democratic members of the House have given more than their dues, and most of them are part of the high-level leadership,” Meehan said. “So they’re [MoveOn.org] setting arbitrary standards that don’t make any sense.”
Meehan said that Moveon.org’s accusations were off-base and that his recent fundraisers were planned long before Moveon.org targeted him.
“Even if I had some more money to send, I couldn’t send it under these conditions, because people would think I was open to being bullied and pressured and it would look unethical,” Meehan said.
While members of Congress are not allowed to give more than $5,000 directly to congressional campaigns, they may transfer unlimited funds from their own campaign accounts to the congressional campaign committees. But Meehan said he doesn’t like giving money from his own campaign because it misleads those who contribute to him.
“I believe that it lacks transparency to be funneling money,” he said. “I think it’s wrong to funnel money that individuals contribute to my campaign with the specific intent to contribute to my campaign.”
Meehan said he would like to see the committee put more pressure on members to pay their dues.
“If every member paid their dues, the committee would have about $8 million” more than it has now, Meehan said.
Last March, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., chairman of the campaign committee, asked 100 members of the House to pay their dues. About 40 percent of Democratic House members have not paid their dues in full, but that number is shrinking as members send in their payments, Burton said.
Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., has paid his $100,000 in dues, according to committee records.
Burton said that while the committee is getting more members’ dues and appreciates their fundraising efforts, more money is needed to combat what he calls the Republicans’ “nasty message machine,” which is well-financed.
“We’re at a crucial juncture, and an historic moment, and the more resources we have to capitalize on the national mood for change, the more likely our success,” Burton said.
Meehan said raising money has been less of a challenge as the elections draw near because Democrats are ahead in the polls and there is more enthusiasm for Democratic candidates.
“When people think you’re going to win, it becomes easier to raise money,” he said.
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A Year After Decision to Close Hanscom Labs, Job Replacement Efforts Still Going
Hanscom
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 25
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 – More than a year after the decision to keep Bedford’s Hanscom Air Force Base open but strip it of its research facilities, efforts are still underway to replace jobs that will be lost.
Last fall, the bipartisan Base Realignment and Closure Commission, designated to review proposals for military base restructuring, decided that the Air Force Research Laboratories would be better suited for bases in other states. The labs will be phased out from 2007 to 2012.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., met with Pentagon officials to keep Hanscom open during last year’s round of base reviews, trying to convince the commission that the base was vital to the region’s economy and the military’s technological progress.
“The Department of Defense should be leveraging the intellectual capital of our community,” Meehan said Wednesday.
In June 2005, the Pentagon spared Hanscom from its round of base closings and announced that it would spend $131 million on expansion of the facility. The money was expected to create more than 1,000 jobs.
But the commission rejected that proposal and decided to move Hanscom’s research labs to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, costing Hanscom about 750 jobs.
“We fought to save Hanscom inside the Pentagon and were wildly successful inside the Pentagon,” Kennedy spokesman Melissa Wagoner said. “Unfortunately, the commission did not agree with those recommendations.”
Before announcing its 2005 decisions, the commission said on its Web site that reducing base costs by 20 percent could generate $7 billion in annual savings that would be better spent on modernizing weapons.
“While I’m grateful we were able to protect Hanscom, its 11,000 jobs dependent on the base and its world-class research during the last highly competitive BRAC round, I’m disappointed that the commission didn’t accept the Pentagon’s recommendation to expand the base at Hanscom,” Kennedy said. “The commission’s review of Hanscom was cursory at best, and certainly wasn’t sufficient to understand the natural fit for the additional jobs within Hanscom’s mission."
The Base Realignment and Closure process was established in 1988 to keep base restructuring out of Congress’s complete control and take regional politics and horse-trading out of the equation. Since then, the commission has held five rounds of restructuring – in 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2005 – in which it has determined what it sees necessary for military efficiency.
Congress must either accept or reject the commission’s recommendations in total without amendment.
Many states have filed lawsuits disputing commission decisions once they’ve been made final, but none has been successful.
Wagoner said that’s why the best way to deal with the closing of Hanscom’s research labs is to generate job growth in other areas of military research in the state.
Kennedy has rallied for and earmarked millions of dollars for Massachusetts’ defense industry since last year’s decision. He delivered $2 million to UMass Lowell for biological defense research, $2 million to Northeastern University for electronics and communication projects, $2.6 million to UMass Amherst for communications and energy harvesting research and $4.5 million for Boston University’s Photonics Center.
Kennedy has helped secure more than $4 million in defense money for Malden Mills in Lawrence for research on cold-weather clothing.
“I think that there’s a feeling among the workers in Massachusetts that they’d like to stay, and given how robust the defense cluster is in Massachusetts, I think a lot of them will be able to find other jobs in Massachusetts,” Wagoner said. “And obviously we’ll be doing whatever we can to help with that.”
Meehan, who has also helped get millions of dollars of federal funds for the local military industry since the commission’s decision, is optimistic about Hanscom’s future.
“Saving Hanscom on the whole is a positive thing for Massachusetts,” Meehan said. “I think Hanscom and Massachusetts are going to remain a critical part of defense industry.”
Meehan said that the fact the base was kept open is a good sign for Massachusetts’ defense businesses and that an important step will be to fill the space vacated by the research labs and work with regional businesses like Raytheon Co. and Goodrich Corp.to expand the defense industry despite the commission’s decision.
“What we’re doing now is working with the Air Force and the Pentagon to make sure we have something to fill the lab space,” Meehan said.
Meehan said that while the closing of the Air Force Research Laboratory was bad news, Hanscom’s Electronics Systems Center should be a focus of job growth and technological development.
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Meehan Has Most Cash Available in House
Fecmeehan
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 19
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 — The campaign finance overhaul advocate representing the Merrimack Valley doesn’t take money from political action committees, but he has the biggest campaign nest egg in the House of Representatives, with most of the unspent funds left over from two years ago.
According to the latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., had more campaign cash in the bank as of Sept. 30 than any other member of the House – about $4.9 million in money raised but not yet spent. In a distant second place is Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., with $3.1 million.
It helps, of course, that he has no Republican opponent in his campaign for reelection next month.
Although Meehan has raised less than any other House member from Massachusetts this year, he has raised more than he’s spent during almost every election since taking office in 1993.
"Over 8,000 individuals have contributed to my campaigns since I came to Congress, and most of my fundraising comes from a series of annual events with my constituents, because it is a great way to stay in touch with the district,” Meehan said.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a research organization that monitors and reports on campaign finance, 68 percent of Meehan’s campaign money came from Massachusetts donors. Topping the contributors’ list were lawyers and law firms, who gave him almost $88,000 this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Much of Meehan’s money came in 2004, when he was gearing up for a Senate run if Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., had been elected president. Meehan raised more than $3.1 million in that election cycle alone and had more than $4.5 million in unspent cash on Election Day– nearly $3 million more than he had on hand in 2002. When Kerry lost his presidential bid, Meehan was left with a lot of money.
What does one do with that much unspent campaign cash?
Meehan said some of his campaign money is invested in certificates of deposit. That’s fairly common, according to Massie Ritsch, communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics.
“You do see them [politicians] invest in savings accounts or in earned interest or occasionally invest in equities or even in businesses,” Ritsch said. “They just have to report their gains.”
Meehan’s investments earned more than $140,000 in interest in 2005, according to campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
A longtime advocate of overhauling the campaign finance system, Meehan co-sponsored the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which was signed into law in March 2002 and prohibits foreign contributions, regulates political ad spending and requires fuller political expenditure disclosure.
Meehan stopped accepting PAC money during the 2002 election campaign.
“I don't take PAC contributions because I want to avoid even the appearance of being indebted to special interests,” Meehan said.
Meehan added that his large stash of money does not conflict with his campaign finance overhaul efforts and shows that new rules work since he’s been able to amass so much through small contributions without relying on political action committees.
“Passing landmark campaign finance legislation does not mean you raise the white flag and give up raising money for campaigns,” Meehan said. “The intent of campaign finance reform was never to reduce the overall amount of money being spent, but to get people to run for office with smaller contributions, which allows more people to
participate in the process.”
Meehan said that although he donates to other Democratic campaigns to help his party gain control of Congress, he is able to keep more money because he doesn’t have to spend much. This is the third election he has run unopposed since taking office.
“I’m very frugal with my money,” Meehan said. “I don’t have to spend it if I don’t have to. Ben Franklin said, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned,’ and that’s true.”
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Malden Mills Showcases Its Products for the Army
Convention
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 12
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 – It’s the kind of event where Malden Mills of Lawrence shares the floor with Halliburton.
The Association of the United States Army– a private, non-profit organization that supports America’s Army, National Guard and Reserves–held its annual convention this week at the Washington Convention Center.
Soldiers home from Iraq and Afghanistan told their stories to rooms full of people. Army officials held seminars on the global war on terrorism, military logistics and plans for the future. Hundreds of vendors, including Malden Mills, showcased the latest products for the Army.
Almost 60,000 people attended the convention by noon on Wednesday, the last day of the three-day event, according to association spokesman John Grady. That evening, more than 3,000 people were in the ballroom for the last dinner. Such a high attendance rate has made participation a must for vendors like Malden Mills
“We had 75 companies on the waiting list for 2006 when we opened,” Grady said. “We sold out for 2007 at 10:35 a.m. Oct. 10.”
Grady added that the association is looking at ways to use additional space outside of the Convention Center for exhibitors. The event is limited until 2011 to the three exhibit halls now in use, but there are five halls on the premises.
“We use the show to support the efforts we do with the Army,” said David Costello, Malden Mills’ Washington lobbyist. “We have a lot of development meetings …at our booths, showing them [Army personnel] the latest technologies we’re working on to improve the things they have.”
The new technology includes lightweight, moisture-resistant fabrics used in combat. Displayed in the company’s booth at the convention were the latest garments made with lightweight Malden Mills fabrics, which developers promise will revolutionize combat gear and make operations more manageable.
“That’s a brand new integrated cold-weather combat ensemble for the Army that we’ve been developing for two and a half years for them,” Costello said.
For Malden Mills, attending the convention is less about sales than about hearing from the men and women who will use the company’s products, Costello said.
“You have a lot of soldiers going through, and we get a lot of feedback,” Costello said. “Just hearing about the situations these guys are in and knowing that we’ve helped them in stressful situations is very satisfying.”
Grady said the event also gives the Army a chance to show what it has been doing – pointing out the “Warrior’s Corner,” a part of the convention where soldiers share their experiences with exhibitors and attendees.
Malden Mills–which primarily makes materials for outdoor sporting–has made fabrics for the military since 1998.
“The military has been a significant diversification move for the company, and the military has been an important market for us,” Costello said.
Malden Mills has been struggling financially in recent years – suffering a devastating fire in 1995, amassing a $180 million debt and filing for bankruptcy in 2001. Owner Aaron Feuerstein has led a long fight to keep the company in Lawrence and keep as many employees as possible.
But the outdoor market is seasonal, Costello said, so the company depends on military business for a year-round market for its products..
“Keeping the workplace as employed as possible without having seasonality is important,” he said. “The military market just helps level off the manufacturing.”
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Local Congressmen React to Mounting North Korea Threat
Nukereaction
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 11
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 – Congressmen north of Boston are calling for action to deal with the potential nuclear showdown with North Korea.
“North Korea is a known proliferator and there is nothing to suggest that they would have any qualms about selling a nuclear weapon to the highest bidder, such as al-Qaeda," Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., said.
On Wednesday, President Bush said North Korea should face serious repercussions for its reported nuclear test – and that country’s officials said that increased pressure from the United States would be considered an act of war, according to Associated Press.
“If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increasing pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war,” North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the Korean Central News Agency.
On Monday morning, North Korean officials said the country had successfully tested a nuclear bomb.
“The test stressed what we already knew: the Bush Administration's foreign policy over the last six years has consistently mis-prioritized the threats facing our country and in doing so has made the world a less safe place,” Meehan said. “Our options to respond to and restrain North Korea are severely limited by the current situation in Iraq and our previous actions on the world stage.”
Speculation over the success of the test continues. The U.S. Geological Survey, a government earth science research organization, said it recorded a 4.2 magnitude tremor in that country – much smaller than that of nuclear tests in India and Pakistan in 1988.
North Korean officials acknowledged that the test – involving a four-kiloton nuclear device – was smaller than expected.
"This is a grave concern for the United States and its allies,” Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., said. “North Korea has defied international non-proliferation treaties and has proved its isolation from the international community.”
Bradley, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the United States should use diplomacy to solve the situation but also that the recent development in North Korea "highlights the urgent need to strengthen our missile defense.”
The United Nations Security Council has condemned the test and drafted a resolution that would impose tough sanctions, including U.S. proposals to prohibit trade in military and luxury goods and crack down on illegal dealings.
Japan on Wednesday banned North Korean imports, prohibited North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and announced that North Korean nationals are no longer allowed in Japan, the AP reported.
The Chinese government said it is sending an envoy to the United States and Russia to discuss further steps.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that there is no plan to invade North Korea but that all options are on the table, according to the AP.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., issued a statement Tuesday urging the U.N. Security Council to respond quickly and decisively and work with United States allies in the region.
“The last thing the world needs is for this nuclear crisis to spiral further out of control,” Kennedy said.
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Two Fire Stations Get Federal Grants
Firestations
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 10
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 – Two fire stations on Massachusetts’ North Shore will receive grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The grants – $129,000 for the North Reading Fire Department’s communications system and $39,000 for new firefighter gear for the Byfield Fire Department – were announced last week.
“It is critical that we provide firefighters and other first responders with the resources they need to protect our community,” Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., said in a statement last week.
The North Reading Fire Department applied for the grant to improve and upgrade its mobile two-way radio system. The department’s radios are outdated and don’t meet the Federal Communications Commission’s frequency band standards.
“Everything we’ve got is around 15 years old,” North Reading Fire Chief David Harlow said. “They’ve been breaking down, and we haven’t been able to repair them due to the lack of replacement parts. Now we’re going to be able to replace them and be up where we should be.”
The Byfield Fire Department needs to buy new protective gear for firefighters.
“We bought it [the current gear] probably about 13 years ago,” Byfield Deputy Fire Chief Doug Janvrin said. “It has a life expectancy, and there are tests you run for moisture. We had pretty much worn the stuff out. We want to keep our firemen safe.”
With municipal governments cutting budgets across the North Shore, any federal funds for fire departments mean less budget stress for towns.
“The overlying factor is that by getting this grant it saves us from having to take money from the local government,” Harlow said. “So we saved the taxpayers some money.”
Janvrin agreed, adding that the town of Byfield bought the firefighters’ last set of protective gear.
“With this grant out there, it’s a nice way of replacing this stuff so you’re not putting a burden on the town,” Janvrin said.
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Lawrence Schools Get Help Teaching Parents About Education
Schoolgrant
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 5, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 – Schools in Lawrence will receive help getting parents more involved in their children’s education through a federal grant issued to a Massachusetts parent advocacy program.
The Federation for Children with Special Needs in Boston has received a grant of $796,824 from the Department of Education to be used for its Parents’ PLACE (Parents Learning About Children’s Education) program, which educates families in urban communities about the No Child Left Behind Act. Lawrence schools will get some of that money.
“Lawrence is one of our targeted districts,” said Rich Robison, the federation’s executive director. “We’ve worked with Lawrence public schools in the past and will continue to do that.”
The organization will meet with Lawrence Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy over the next few weeks to discuss how much money Lawrence will get and how it would best be spent, Robison said.
Laboy, who gave the organization a commitment letter regarding the grant earlier this year and has worked with the federation in the past, said he’s optimistic about going forward with the group’s services.
“We’ve had a very positive and good relationship with the federation,” Laboy said. “Much of the money is to educate parents on their rights and due process and to educate their children.”
The Parents’ PLACE program provides schools with workshops and educational materials, in both English and Spanish, regarding the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. That law ties federal education funds to academic achievement. Critics have said it poses a disadvantage for low-income communities where achievement is low because of economic and social factors.
Parents’ PLACE is aimed at overcoming those problems and getting urban parents more involved with their children’s education.
“If parents increase their involvement in their children’s education, then the children’s education will be significantly improved,” Robison said. “We want to help parents feel empowered to help their children.”
Laboy said the bilingual aspect of the program helps involve Lawrence parents who would otherwise be left out because of a communication problem.
With the government mandating higher grades and test scores, Laboy said, “Parent involvement is an issue in urban areas all across the country. Parent involvement is critical.”
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Local Congressmen React to Congressional Sex Chat
IMPORTANT NOTE:
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Foleyreaction
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 3, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 – Local congressmen called for better protection of Congressional pages in the wake of the scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla.
“We must institute stronger safeguards, including better support and counseling services, to ensure the safety and well being of our pages,” Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., said. He sponsored a high school student from Lawrence, Mass., as a page last spring, and said he finds Foley’s behavior reprehensible.
Foley resigned from his seat Friday after news reports exposed a sexually-explicit online instant message conversation from 2003 in which Foley asked a 16-year-old page if he was “horny” and told the page to take off his clothes and measure his penis.
The House voted unanimously Friday to instruct the House Ethics Committee to investigate the situation.
Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., said he is disgusted with Foley’s behavior.
"Members of Congress maintain the public trust only by conducting themselves with the highest standards,” Bradley said. “Mr. Foley has violated this trust with his reprehensible conduct.”
House pages are students in their junior year of high school who spend a year working in Congress as messengers for members while also doing class work.
House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said that he spoke with House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., earlier this year about a questionable 2005 e-mail exchange between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner told a Cincinnati radio show Tuesday that Hastert had told him the situation had been dealt with.
In one e-mail in 2005, Foley asked a former page how school was and asked the page to send him a picture. In another e-mail, obtained by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the page said that he had been warned by an older page about a congressman who “hit on” pages.
Hastert’s office has confirmed that his top aides knew last year that Foley had been ordered to stop contact with the boy.
"If the FBI or the House Ethics Committee determines that there was misconduct by any member of Congress or affiliated staff, they should resign immediately,” Bradley said. “It is vital that the young men and women who serve in the Congressional Page Program feel safe and secure during their time in the Capitol."
Meehan said he supports FBI investigations into Foley and the GOP leadership.
“The current Republican leadership, which knew about at least one email exchange between Congressman Foley and a page for almost a year, appears to have tried to
hide the scandal instead of aggressively pursuing an investigation into the
matter,” Meehan said.
Foley wrote the sexual predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Protection Act signed into law in July. That bill – co-sponsored by Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass. – includes tougher penalties for viewing child pornography online.
“That’s the irony of it,” Tierney told The Salem News earlier this week. “It was (Foley’s) own law.”
Tierney said he expects there to be consequences for anyone who was aware of the full nature of Foley’s interaction with pages.
Meehan said he doesn’t know if the scandal will affect mid-term elections next month.
“It is too early to tell what the political fall out will be from this growing scandal,” Meehan said. “At its heart, this scandal is not about politics. It is about protecting our young people who serve in the nation's Capitol."
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University of New Hampshire to Benefit from Defense Appropriations
Navymoney
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News service
Oct. 3
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 – The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., will get $3 million for research as part of the 2007 Defense Appropriations Bill passed by Congress last week.
The bill – which provides $436.6 billion for the Department of Defense – includes $70 billion for operations related to the struggle against global terrorism and $69.3 million for companies in New Hampshire.
“Military facilities and private-sector companies across New Hampshire, New England and the nation play an important role in supporting and protecting our men and women in uniform no matter where they serve around the world,” Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., said in a statement Tuesday. “The resources in this defense bill provide critical investments needed to fight the global war on terror, protect the homeland and make investments to best respond to future threats at home and abroad.”
The money for U.N.H. will fund research to improve coating for Navy ships.
“The whole thing is focused on anticorrosion,” U.N.H. material science professor Donald Sundberg said. Corrosion is a big problem with Navy ships, and the university is working on new coatings to address corrosion, he said.
The university is working with nanostructured composite marine coatings – coatings with multiple microscopic additives that enhance their durability and performance, he said.
“Smart coating,” one of the technologies the university is working on, has additives that sense change in the environment and act accordingly, Sundberg said. If corrosive sea salt gets into the coating, the coating replaces it with phosphate iron, which is not corrosive.
“Self-healing coating” helps with areas of a ship that are sensitive to stress, Sundberg said. When a crack in coating is visible, it means there are many unseen microscopic cracks. Upon cracking, the coating releases adhesive into the crack.
“The purpose of new appropriations is to further refine those techniques and move others and to add a couple more pieces to this,” Sundberg said.
Sundberg is the director of the university’s Nanostructured Polymers Research Center – a group of three faculty members with their own research crews and students.
“We call it professional development for students,” Sundberg said. “It’s a great place for students to get involved. They’re outside the lab and working on real problems that people care about.”
The Defense Appropriations Bill also will provide money to:
r Albany Engineered Composites in Rochester, N.H. – $1.3 million for development, demonstration and qualification of an advanced composite technology horizontal tail for the Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.
r Defense Holdings in Dover, N.H. – $1 million to accelerate the transition and installation of metal fiber brushes in submarines.
r Planning Systems Inc. in Portsmouth, N.H. – $1.3 million to develop a multilevel secure wireless network to reduce costs for Navy submarines.
r Wilcox Industries Corp. in Newington, N.H. – $1.95 million for life support systems and training for Navy explosive ordnance demolition work.
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