Category: Matthew Huisman
Gamblers Betting on Frank to Overturn Law
GAMBLING
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
April 30, 2008
WASHINGTON – The odds may not be in his favor, but Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has gained a valuable ally in his fight to overturn a 2006 law banning online gambling. Poker Players Alliance, a grassroots organization fighting for poker players’ rights, has put its chips on Rep. Frank’s proposal.
With more than one million members, the alliance in mid April began actively lobbying Congress. Members have flooded congressional offices with more than 17,000 letters in the past month, attended town hall meetings in districts and flown to Washington to meet with lawmakers, according to John Pappas, executive director of the alliance. There are 25,000 members in Massachusetts alone.
The alliance is betting on Rep. Frank’s new bill, which would negate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, a law that prohibits the transfer of funds between online gambling sites and financial institutions. Exceptions to the rule include online lotteries, fantasy sports and horse racing.
Introduced in early April by Rep. Frank and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the bill would prevent the Federal Reserve Board and the Treasury Department from implementing regulations for the enforcement of the 2006 law. Since the act did not outline methods of enforcement, the responsibility falls on the Fed and Treasury.
Guidelines proposed in October of last year would require banks and financial institutions to identify and block transfers from unlawful Internet gambling sites, putting them in a law enforcement position.
According to Treasury spokeswoman Jennifer Zuccarelli, the two agencies hope to have a final rule in place by the end of the year, assuming Mr. Frank’s latest bill does not pass. The bill, which has 11 cosponsors, has been referred to the Financial Services Committee, of which Rep. Frank is chairman.
“The ban on Internet gambling infringes upon two freedoms that are important to many Americans: the ability to do with their money as they see fit and the freedom from government interference with the Internet,” Rep. Frank said in a statement.
Rep. Frank last year introduced legislation calling for federal regulation and licensing of Internet gambling and online betting. That bill, still in committee, would take financial institutions out of an enforcement role. Last year’s bill differs from his latest bill because the older legislation includes guidelines for regulation.
“They put a tremendous amount of pressure on the banks with no way to enforce it,” Rep. Frank said.
Because of the lack of technology to determine the nature of bank transactions, it is hard to determine if gambling is involved.
“It’s very difficult to separate out which transactions are retail and which are gambling,” said American Bankers Association spokesman Peter Garuccio. “You cannot tell based on a merchant’s name what the transaction is.”
Mr. Garuccio used the example of an online gambling site that might also sell T-shirts. For a bank to differentiate between a gambling transaction and one for a T-shirt by the same vendor would be nearly impossible, he said.
Last month, a House Financial Services subcommittee held a hearing on the proposed rules for enforcement of the 2006 act. Bank representatives and federal officials testified about the potential problems with the proposal.
“The statute as enacted and the regulations as proposed are both burdensome and unworkable and are unlikely to result in stopping illegal Internet gambling,” Wayne Abernathy, executive director of the American Bankers Association, testified at the hearing.
Mr. Abernathy said the burden placed on financial institutions by the 2006 act imposes “an unprecedented delegation of governmental responsibility with no prospect of practical success.”
Some supporters of Rep. Frank’s latest bill think it is too inclusive, which could hurt its chance of passing. Charles Nesson, a professor at Harvard Law School and founder of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, said Mr. Frank should focus primarily on poker as opposed to all forms of online gambling.
“Strategically speaking, to take on the whole thing is more difficult than focusing on online poker,” Mr. Nesson said. “He’s got a libertarian principle he’s after.”
Mr. Nesson advocates poker use for educational and entertainment purposes because he maintains it is a game of skill rather than a game of chance.
“Adults who engage in a game of skill like poker should be allowed to do so,” the Poker Players Alliance’s Mr. Pappas said. “Just because it moved from the kitchen table to the computer table, doesn’t mean it should be illegal.”
Mr. Pappas said the alliance supports Rep. Frank’s bill but is primarily focused on the rights of poker players as opposed to all online gamblers.
In Massachusetts, the gambling debate has taken a different turn. Gov. Deval Patrick proposed legislation in October that would have provided for three casino gambling locations in the state. The bill, which the House voted down in late March, also included a clause to ban all forms of Internet gambling.
The proposal drew the attention of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, which fought against the bill’s inclusion of poker in the online gambling ban. Mr. Nesson said he did not know why the clause was placed in a bill that so strongly advocated other forms of gambling. He said the state should approach poker as a learning tool.
A February 2007 telephone poll by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth showed that four percent of Massachusetts residents participated in some form of online gambling during the previous year. That number is almost twice the national average, but not the largest in New England. Seven percent of New Hampshire residents gambled online, according to Clyde Barrow, director of the center.
Despite the popularity of poker, not everyone is buying into Rep. Frank’s proposal to allow Internet gambling. The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, a non-profit organization that opposes the bill, maintains that online gambling brings an addictive product into people’s homes. The coalition supports a ban on all forms of gambling, including online poker.
“In these economic times, the people that sponsor this want people to gamble more,” said Thomas Grey, spokesman for the coalition. “Wouldn’t it be better to work and save and invest your money at this point?”
The coalition and other organizations like Focus on the Family, a Christian organization that promotes conservative public policy, insist the Internet and the lack of adequate age-verification technology would give children easy access to online gambling.
“The strength of Internet gambling is that its secrecy and anonymity allow its accessibility,” said Chad Hills, the analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus on the Family. “Nobody has to know that you are even playing.”
Mr. Hills said his organization opposes all forms of online gambling and any attempt to regulate it because the Internet is impossible to control.
“You can’t stop it, so how do you regulate it?” Mr. Hills said. “How do we know playing poker isn’t going directly to fund a group of terrorists who are going to come in and bomb a large population?”
Mr. Pappas argues that improved age-verification technology coupled with government regulation would allow for a safer and less problematic solution as opposed to outright prohibition.
“The whole idea that we can achieve some sort of a prohibition is false,” Mr. Pappas said. “People have just found other ways to fund their accounts.”
###
New Bedford High School Teacher Runs His Fastest Half Marathon in Washington
TEACHER
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
April 21, 2008
WASHINGTON – As a cold wind blew, thousands of runners crowded into race corrals in front of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium for the start of the third annual National Marathon and Half Marathon. With the sun peeking over the horizon and the temperature in the low 40s, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the start of the race, sending a horde of runners into the streets.
Crowded among the runners on the last Saturday in March was Adam Chale, a special-education teacher at New Bedford High School. Mr. Chale, who has competed in almost 50 road races, finished his fastest half marathon – 13.1 miles – with a time of one hour, 58 minutes and 48 seconds.
As Mr. Chale waited at the start, he said, he was cold, nervous and excited. “I hadn't run a half marathon since Miami in January, so I wasn't certain that I'd do all that well,” Mr. Chale said. “I just wanted to be competitive with myself.”
After the start, Mr. Chale said, he felt fine as the pack of runners started to move. The course led runners through all four quadrants of the city and finished near the start line. When Mr. Chale crossed the finish line, he said, he looked up and saw the clock read lower than his personal goal of two hours.
“I felt this great sense of accomplishment like I had just won the Olympics and was ready to take my victory lap with the American flag,” Mr. Chale said. “OK, maybe not the Olympics, but there was some clandestine fist pumping going on.”
Mr. Chale, 42, grew up in Wheatley Heights, N.Y., and started running at a young age with his sister, Amanda, and their father, Allen. Amanda Chale told the story of when their father took the two of them to a track and told them they needed to run four laps before he would enter them in a race.
“Like anything else you expose your kids to, it puts it out there and shows somebody what they might want to try,” Ms. Chale said in a telephone interview.
In high school, Mr. Chale ran the 400 meter and 800 meter in track and the 5 kilometer race in cross-country and was a member of the fencing team. he competed in the 1981 New York State cross-country championships along with his team.
“I took a hiatus from running after high school, about 20 years,” Mr. Chale said in a telephone interview. The decision to pick up running again happened after he gained weight, Mr. Chale said. After experiencing chest pains he decided it was time to change his lifestyle. He started off walking at first, and then decided to run, slowly increasing his mileage.
“It’s been a transformation of his body and mind,” said Lisa Stoeckle, a fellow teacher at New Bedford High School. “When I met Adam he was not in the physical shape that he’s in today.”
Now Mr. Chale said that he runs for his health and enjoyment, adding that he usually runs by himself and without music.
“I like to have a sense of what I’m doing and I like to keep my head clear,” Mr. Chale said.
“I think that the running helps him to get his life prioritized,” his sister said. “It’s a good way for him to think and work through things.”
For the past five years, Mr. Chale has been a special-education teacher at New Bedford High School, primarily helping students with difficulty reading or with learning disabilities. He said he enjoys teaching because of the satisfaction he experiences when a student finally realizes a solution to a problem.
“You always enjoy it when a child gets it,” Mr. Chale said. “There is a light in their eyes when they get it.”
Mr. Chale said that he was inspired to be a special-education teacher in part because he was diagnosed with a learning disability as a junior in high school. Mr. Chale said that he understands the frustration his students feel.
“I had a high IQ, but my grades were poor,” Mr. Chale said.
After graduating high school, he attended the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University as an undergraduate and graduate student earning his Master’s and going on to teach in New York City and upstate New York before coming to New Bedford.
His colleagues describe Mr. Chale as a dedicated teacher and a role model for students and faculty alike. Ms. Stoeckle said she has known Mr. Chale “since the day he walked into the high school.” She describes him as a shy and reserved person who cares about his students.
“He relates to their disabilities,” Ms. Stoeckle said. “He feels their frustration when they are caught in a difficult learning situation.”
Michael Winderlick, who teaches biology at New Bedford High School, said that Mr. Chale’s athleticism is inspirational to students and faculty. Mr. Winderlick said that Mr. Chale and he participate in after-school sports with other faculty and that Mr. Chale helps out with running programs and with the track team.
Mr. Chale said his next half marathon will be May 4 in either Providence, R.I., or on Long Island, N.Y. He is also planning to run in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2, 2008, provided he is chosen from the lottery of runners. Mr. Chale expects to find out if he makes the cut some time in June.
Mr. Chale is engaged to be married in September to Francie Behar, a physical therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The couple met at a softball league in Boston, Ms. Behar said in an interview. Ms. Behar and Mr. Chale have no plans to give up their current work positions.
“I hope that his kids are aware of all of his accomplishments and can do better by his example,” his sister said.
####
Former Congressman Joe Kennedy Has $2 Million in Campaign Account
Leftovers
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
April 9, 2008
WASHINGTON – Joseph P. Kennedy II hasn’t served in the House of Representatives since January 1999 and yet he still has more than $2 million in his campaign account, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
It is not uncommon for a candidate to leave office with funds left from the campaign, according to Massie Ritsch, the communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan organization that tracks money in politics. He added that candidates often reserve funds for another attempt at politics.
“They also use their money to retain influence over other politicians,” Mr. Ritsch said. He said Mr. Kennedy could use the money to make contributions to candidates or to a political party.
“What’s more typical is that people donate it in some fashion to a cause, something consistent with their beliefs,” said John Portz, a political science professor at Northeastern University.
Mr. Portz used the example of Michael Dukakis, former Massachusetts governor and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate. After Mr. Dukakis left office as governor, he went to teach political science at Northeastern University and used the vast majority of his campaign money to fund internships and co-op programs for students in state and local governments.
“Kennedy clearly hasn’t said that, keeping it open,” Mr. Portz said. “There was a time when his name was touted as a name for governor.”
Mr. Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy and nephew of Sen. Edward Kennedy, served six terms in the House, from 1987 to 1999, representing the 8th Congressional District. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, he has done little with the $1,455,077.66 that remained in his campaign fund when he left office, other than let it earn interest. At the end of 2007 the account was worth $2,118,149.
During 2007 Mr. Kennedy earned $185,186 in interest but he also contributed to a number of political candidates, including Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
“The longer somebody has been in, the more likely it is that they have more funds,” said Bill Hogan, director of investigative projects for the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.
Mr. Hogan said it would not be illegal for Mr. Kennedy to donate money to his own non-profit organization. “It would be legally permissible for him to do that as long as it’s clear that the money wasn’t going back into his pocket.”
Since leaving office, Mr. Kennedy has focused on his non-profit organization, the Citizens Energy Corporation, which provides low-cost heating options for needy families.
Mr. Hogan said that there is a pattern of former members’ giving to their own non-profits or starting their own non-profit and donating funds to it.
After more than a dozen calls and numerous emails over the span of a month to Ashley Durmer, the communications director of Citizens Energy Corporation, Mr. Kennedy could not be reached.
Stephen Kidder, a lawyer with Hemenway and Barnes in Boston who coordinates Mr. Kennedy’s Federal Election Commission filings, said Tuesday that the status of the campaign account remains unchanged and declined to comment further.
###
Sens. Kennedy and Kerry Question Gen. Petraeus about Iraq
Petraeus
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
April 8, 2008
WASHINGTON – Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told Gen. David Petraeus that after listening to his testimony Tuesday morning “it seems clear that the administration describes one Iraq, while we see another.
“The president sees an Iraq where progress in neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities across Iraq is being made. But most Americans see an Iraq in which 4 million refugees have been displaced from their homes.”
Gen. Petraeus, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the status of Iraq, said that progress had been made but that the gains could be reversed were there a hasty and reckless pullout of troops.
When questioned by Sen. Kennedy about the potential for a long-term U.S. military commitment in Iraq, the general replied that no long-term commitment has been made.
Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who also testified before the committee, said that the long-term agreement that the United States is negotiating with Iraq would not establish permanent bases in Iraq.
“The agreement will not specify troop levels, and it will not tie the hands of the next administration,” Ambassador Crocker said.
Sen. Kennedy also asked Gen. Petraeus when he expected Iraqi troops to be able to stand on their own without U.S. military assistance. The general responded that he was unsure when the Iraqi people will be able to take responsibility and fight for themselves.
“Americans want to know after we have spent approximately $24 billion in five years, when these forces are going to be ready and willing to stand up and fight on their own so the Americans don’t have to fight for them,” Sen. Kennedy said.
“[Iraqis] are very much fighting and very much dying for their country,” Gen. Petraeus said. “Their losses are three times our losses.”
Sen. Kennedy said, “It’s time to put the Iraqis on notice that our troops will not remain forever.”
During a separate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Tuesday afternoon, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., questioned whether the U.S. presence has led to p the Iraqi government’s reluctance to make decisions.
“Has it struck you that this open-endedness, this commitment of large forces without a sense of what the process will be without specific deadlines, actually empowers them to avoid making the decisions and the reconciliations they have to make?” Sen. Kerry asked.
“When we do see movement forward, it’s when leaders and the communities behind them are feeling relatively secure,” Gen. Petraeus said.
“We gave them security with 160,000 troops and we didn’t achieve the political process we needed,” Sen. Kerry said.
###
As Frank Prepares Marijuana Bill, States Make Own Efforts
MARIJUANA
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman and Jason Millman
Boston University Washington News Service
April 1, 2008
WASHINGTON – Proponents of U.S. Rep. Barney Frank’s proposal to legalize small amounts of marijuana are pointing to efforts in some states – including Massachusetts – to decriminalize the drug as evidence of public support for Mr. Frank’s plan.
Mr. Frank, D-Newton, said Tuesday he will introduce two bills, one that would decriminalize possession of less than 100 grams – or 3.5 ounces – of marijuana and another that would grant protection to states that decide to allow medicinal use of marijuana.
“The public is now ready for this,” Mr. Frank said in a telephone interview. “I have long thought it was foolish to have these laws on the books, but now as I look at the public opinion, it’s clear that this is wanted.”
Mr. Frank said that although he does not support marijuana use, he believed that adults should be able to consume small amounts without facing criminal penalties. He said prosecution of marijuana charges costs federal law enforcement agencies time and resources. Mr. Frank, who said he has no experience with marijuana, added, “I think marijuana is less harmful than alcohol.”
As Mr. Frank tries to drum up support for his bill in Congress, the Massachusetts legislature is considering an initiative to decriminalize the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. A person caught with an ounce or less would be fined but would not be charged with a criminal offense, which appears on employer background checks and is a disqualifying factor for receiving certain government benefits, such as subsidized housing and student financial aid.
If the state legislature does not take action on the initiative by May 6, supporters have until June 18 to get 11,000 signatures on a petition to put the initiative on the ballot in November. If they succeed, it would require a majority vote to pass.
Whitney A. Taylor, campaign manager for the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which drafted the Massachusetts initiative, said she supports Mr. Frank’s proposal.
“We are very excited that Congressman Frank understands the need for more sensible and sound marijuana policies,” Ms. Taylor said “The policies in Massachusetts do more harm than good, and I think the congressman realizes that on a federal level as well.”
State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, D-Medford, is sponsoring her own bill that would decriminalize possessing an ounce or less of marijuana.
“I’m not saying it’s OK, but it’s not a criminal offense,” she said. “It’s a civil offense, but you don’t get a criminal record and you don’t use up court resources.”
State Rep. Martin J. Walsh, D-Dorchester, who has led the opposition to marijuana decriminalization efforts in Massachusetts, said he would instead favor adjusting laws for youths using alcohol and marijuana in order to protect their permanent records.
“People make mistakes,” Mr. Walsh said. “I don't agree with them being penalized for an irresponsible decision.”
Since 1973, 12 states, including Maine, have decriminalized marijuana in some form. A bill that would decriminalize possession of a quarter-ounce of marijuana passed the New Hampshire House, although the governor and Senate president have vowed to defeat it.
“Almost half of the [U.S.] population lives in states that have done this sort of thing,” said Bill Downing, president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition. “Those states saved millions of dollars in law enforcement and marijuana usage rates did not go up as a result.”
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, pointed to those 12 states as proof of support for reforming drug laws. Mr. St. Pierre said there is widespread public support for decriminalizing marijuana and allowing for its medicinal use while many still oppose its full legalization.
Americans are able to distinguish between decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and the complete legalization of marijuana, making it like alcohol and tobacco, Mr. St. Pierre said.
Tom Riley, spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said his agency would “oppose any changes that would make dangerous addictive drugs widely available.”
“Common sense shows that when you make something more available, people will use it,” he said.
Mr. Riley said that proponents of marijuana decriminalization are “using medical marijuana as a backdoor solution to legalization” and that marijuana is a more harmful drug than people realize. He said patients using medicinal marijuana are being used to invoke public sympathy.
“The state-level passage has been playing on people’s good wills more than based on science,” Mr. Riley said. “They go through the ballot process rather than the scientific process.”
For the past 10 years, Mr. Frank has unsuccessfully filed legislation during each two-year congressional term to loosen marijuana laws. He has filed bills that would allow the unrestricted medicinal use of marijuana in states that have passed such laws, and he has also filed bills—one as recently as January—to repeal a law that prohibits college students convicted of drug offenses from receiving financial aid. None of the bills has made it onto the House floor for debate.
U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn. filed legislation in the Senate last month that would allow judges to decide whether students convicted of drug offenses can keep their financial aid awards.
Tom Angell, spokesman for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a Washington-based lobbying group seeking to decriminalize marijuana, said more than 200,000 college students have lost financial aid packages in the past 10 years because of drug convictions. Although Mr. Angell would not say whether he would support Mr. Frank’s legislation until he sees the details of his proposal, he said he believes passing a law to reduce penalties for marijuana will “show a lot of momentum for reforming punitive drug policies.”
“Congress will be on the record saying it doesn’t make sense to punish people for what they’re putting into their own body,” Mr. Angell said.
Mr. St. Pierre said Mr. Frank’s proposal does not promote the use of marijuana but instead encourages people who use it to consume the drug within reasonable limits.
“It will build consistency into drug policy that if you use something like cannabis, just like alcohol, you should largely be punished for the abuse of the substance, not the use of it,” Mr. St. Pierre said. “We all know there’s a difference between use of alcohol and alcohol abuse.”
####
Hundreds Protest on Fifth Anniversary of Iraq War
Protest
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
March 19, 2008
WASHINGTON – Armed with banners, flags and a bullhorn, several hundred people protesting the Iraq War marched through Washington Wednesday and called for President Bush to end the war that has already lasted five years.
At the National Archives, home of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, they demanded a restoration of the Constitution.
“When we had to go off to Vietnam, we took an oath to the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, domestic and foreign,” said Chris Myers of Shelburne Falls, Mass. Mr. Myers, who said he served in Vietnam, was marching as a member of the Veterans for Peace. “We feel it’s time to stop the war, bring our troops home and impeach Bush and Cheney.”
The march was part of the 5 Years Too Many protest sponsored by United for Peace and Justice, a coalition of 1,400 protest organizations that oppose the Iraq War.
Adam Kokesh, a member of the board of directors of Iraq Veterans Against the War, said he had been a sergeant in the U.S. Army and was marching “to remind the American people about what is being done in their name and the fact that we’ve been in Iraq five years now. It’s sad to say, but most Americans aren’t aware of that much.”
Mr. Kokesh marched at the front of the group with a half-dozen other veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once the group arrived at the Archives, four men, including Mr. Kokesh, climbed the stairs on the South side and leaped a fence onto a balcony above a long line of tourists waiting to enter the building. With a bullhorn and an upside-down American flag, they called for restoration of the Constitution.
Within seconds of their ascent over the fence, police swarmed the area. The police encouraged the four to remove themselves from the balcony. After 15 minutes of speaking, the four left the restricted area without incident.
Simultaneously, a small group of protestors cuffed themselves together to the flagpole on the Archives lawn with zip ties. Joel Kovel, a Vietnam veteran, was one of the protesters linked around the flagpole.
“Five years is five years too many,” Mr. Kovel said. “Bush and Cheney have robbed our Constitution and killed 4,000 American troops.”
As the veterans chanted and waved flags, groups of tourists were giving them the thumbs up or held up two fingers symbolizing peace and showing their support. Not all the people waiting in line for the National Archives were in agreement with the protesters. Danny Quintanilla, who was visiting the nation’s capital with his family from Houston, said that he had been waiting in line for about an hour when the protesters arrived.
“I’m not bitter that they’re here,” Mr. Quintanilla said. “I just don’t care for these guys, but we have these freedoms. This is their country too.”
Earlier, at the National Museum of the American Indian, the group was joined by the musician Buffy Sainte-Marie, who performed an acoustic version of “Universal Soldier,” her famous Vietnam War protest song.
The group also marched to the gates of the White House, where members of the group spoke and displayed a citizen’s arrest warrant for President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against humanity.
After speaking in front of the White House, the protesters headed to their final destination, the headquarters of United for Peace and Justice at McPherson Square.
Mr. Myers said the march was a success, adding that he felt the group had a good showing. “We have a big presence, but we haven’t finished yet,” he said.
####
Frank, Kennedy, Kerry Ranked Among Most Powerful Members of Congress
Power
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
March 5, 2008
WASHINGTON – Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is the seventh most powerful member of the House of Representatives, according to a report released this week. Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) were ranked second and twelfth in the Senate, respectively.
The 2008 Power Rankings report was compiled by Knowlegis, a company that compiles data regarding legislators and legislation and which also lobbies Congress.
Brad Fitch, CEO of Knowlegis, said rankings are determined by the legislator’s position, indirect influence, legislative activity and earmarks.
“It’s flattering,” Rep. Frank said in a phone interview. “You grow up reading about people and now you’re one of the people you read about.”
As chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Frank is in a position to impact legislation with this year’s declining economy and the on-going mortgage crisis.
“It’s an exclusive committee, one of the most powerful in Congress,” Mr. Fitch said. “He has the opportunity to do a great deal of work on financial legislation.”
Rep. Frank said he didn’t anticipate this much responsibility and attention for his position when he was appointed chairman.
“I am working harder than I have worked in my entire life,” he said. “It’s what I came here for, to have an impact on public policy.”
Last year, Rep. Frank was ranked the 13th most powerful member in the House.
Sens. Kennedy and Kerry also moved up in the rankings from 10th to second and 19th to 12th, respectively.
“Sen. Kennedy starts with a solid base being a senior member of the Senate,” Mr. Fitch said. “He’s also the chairman of an important committee.”
Mr. Fitch said that in addition to being chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Sen. Kennedy gets “sizzle points” for being the “Lion of the Senate.” Mr. Fitch said legislators are awarded “fizzle points” and “sizzle points,” which can affect a member’s ranking, based on their conduct and reputation.
Mr. Fitch said Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), received "fizzle points" for his misdemeanor offense in Minnesota in June 2007, putting him second to last on the list for the Senate.
Coming in dead last on the Senate list is Freshman Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) who replaced the late Craig Thomas. Sen. Barrasso's low score is due to his short tenure and freshman status.
Leading the Senate rankings is Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) due to his being Senate Majority Leader. Also toward the top of the Senate rankings is Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) ranking third, followed by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ranks first for her role as Speaker of the House, followed by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), House Majority Leader, and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Ranking last in the House was Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), who received “fizzle points” due to his multiple federal indictments. Right in front of Rep. Renzi is Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who also received “fizzle points” for his corruption charges.
Sen. Kerry rose in the rankings due to a more vocal stance against the war in Iraq, Mr. Fitch said. “Sen. Kerry took a lot of influence points,” he said. “He has more front page media coverage, primarily as a result of being a media darling.”
“Sen. Kennedy has often said that serving the people of Massachusetts is the greatest public honor of his life,” said Melissa Wagoner, the senator’s press secretary. “He looks forward to another year with an aggressive agenda that the puts the needs of America’s hardworking families first.”
Sen. Kerry’s office did not immediately return phone calls.
###
Marine Corps Band Plays ‘Sweet Caroline’
Celebrate
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
2/27/08
WASHINGTON—“Sweet Caroline” usually plays between the top and bottom of the eighth innings in Fenway Park, but Tuesday the song filled the air of the White House’s South Lawn as President George W. Bush congratulated the Boston Red Sox on their seventh World Series Championship.
With a Marine Corps Band playing the ballpark anthem, a thousand cheering fans joined Mr. Bush in honoring the champs. David “Big Papi” Ortíz, Boston’s designated hitter, held up the World Series trophy as the team stood before the crowd of senators, fans and the media.
“The Mighty Red Sox Nation has stormed the South Lawn,” Mr. Bush said. “I’m real proud for the Red Sox Baseball Club, its players, the players’ families, all those associated with this unbelievably successful franchise.”
Mr. Bush, joined by Vice President Dick Cheney, spoke and welcomed the players on a cold afternoon, but also took the opportunity to poke some fun. He congratulated the rookie pitcher from Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka, adding, “His press corps is bigger than mine, and we both have trouble answering questions in English.”
The most notable player missing from the day’s ceremony was left-fielder Manny Ramirez.
“Manny Ramirez, isn't here. I guess his grandmother died again,” Mr. Bush said, referring to the claim by Mr. Ramirez in 2001 that he missed an All Star game practice because his grandmother had died. . “Just kidding. Tell Manny I didn't mean it.”
Mr. Bush also made note of Jonathan Papelbon’s dancing an Irish jig in his underwear after the American League East championship game.
“The guy pitches almost as well as he dances,” Mr. Bush said of the young pitcher. “And I appreciate the dress code. Thanks for wearing pants.”
The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies in four games to win the World Series for the second time in the past four years. In 2004, the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Baseball is America’s pastime -- the boys of summer – that’s not ever going to change,” Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters after the ceremony.
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) added that he was proud of the Red Sox and was happy to see them back again. “Two out of the last four years is pretty good,” Sen. Kennedy said. “All Americans are proud of the Boston Red Sox.”
Following the ceremony the team went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to speak with injured veterans.
Jason Varitek, the team’s catcher and captain, spoke to reporters about making a similar trip to Walter Reed in 2005 following that year’s White House championship reception.
“I literally remember the conversations and times spent with them,” Mr. Varitek said. “It was very humbling.”
After visiting Walter Reed Hospital, Jon Lester, a starting pitcher, spoke about his first visit.
“I'm only 24 years old and I'm seeing kids younger than me with no legs and one arm,” Mr. Lester said. “It wakes you up and makes you realize that everything there is real and there's a war going on.”
Boston University Washington News Service reporter Matt Negrin contributed to this story.
Patrick Stresses Importance of Children’s Health Insurance Program
Patrick
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
2/26/08
WASHINGTON – Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told a House hearing Tuesday that new federal rules restricting who can be covered under the federal-state children’s health insurance program could set back the state’s effort to provide coverage to children from low-income families.
“I am here to ask you not to undermine our success,” the Democratic governor said during testimony before the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Gov. Patrick, one of five governors testifying, urged the committee to repeal the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Aug. 17 directive, which does not allow states to insure children in families with a gross income above 250 percent of the federal poverty line. For a family of three, that would equate to $43,000 a year.
The directive would “impair the Commonwealth’s Medicaid and SCHIP [State Children’s Health Insurance Program] programs,” Gov. Patrick said.
According to Gov. Patrick, Massachusetts had previously been allowed to extend coverage to children in families living at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
“As a result, Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment has grown by 40,000 children, including 18,000 newly eligible because of the expansion from 200 to 300 percent” of the poverty line, Gov. Patrick said.
The governor said that 300,000 adults and children “who were uninsured last year are insured today, reducing our uninsured population by about half.”
The chairman of the subcommittee, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), said, under the new directive a state would have to prove that it has enrolled 95 percent of the children eligible in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level before providing additional coverage. “By almost every account, there is no state that will be able to meet this requirement,” Pallone said.
Rather than cutting coverage for children, many states will use state funds to ensure that children do not lose insurance, said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“The administration’s ‘Aug. 17 directive will affect at least 26 states by this summer, causing states to roll back existing coverage and stop planned expansions,” Rep. Dingell said. “If this administration were interested in helping those with the lowest income, the president would not have vetoed the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act that provided new incentives, tools and bonus payments to make sure states got the job done.”
After an hour of opening statements by a dozen House members, Rep. Pallone introduced the five-governor panel testifying before the subcommittee. Gov. Patrick was joined by Govs. Christine Gregoire (D-Wash.), Haley Barbour (R-Miss.), Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) and Sonny Perdue (R-Ga.).
“Our success depends on the stability and reliability of the commitments the federal government has made to us,” Gov. Patrick testified. “A retreat in any of those commitments could have devastating effects on our progress, particularly our ability to cover families who have no affordable options in the unsubsidized private marketplace.”
####
Protestors Call for Change in Immigration Legislation
Immigration
New Bedford Standard Times
Matthew Huisman
Boston University Washington News Service
2/12/08
WASHINGTON- Chants of Si se puede (Yes we can) filled the cold air in front of the Health and Human Services Department building Tuesday morning, where more than 200 protesters voiced their disapproval of current immigration legislation and their support of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The protesters, representing nearly 100 immigrant-rights organizations from 30 states, were attending the Standing FIRM (Fair Immigration Reform Movement) Summit sponsored by the Center for Community Change, a Washington-based group that advocates for low-income people and “communities of color.”
The second FIRM Summit coincided with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ announcement that it would allow immigrants seeking permanent residence visas (so-called green cards) to bypass the FBI background check.
The decision affects applicants whose status is complete except for the background check and could allow up to 47,000 applicants to be approved for permanent status while awaiting completion of the FBI checks, said Chris Bentley, the immigration services press secretary. He said he expected the first green cards to be issued next month.
“We’re here today as delegates and allies from all over the United States standing with FIRM,” said Martha Sanchez of the Gamaliel Foundation, a coalition of grass-roots organizations. “We’re families, workers, neighbors, coming together to solve problems collectively because we believe in community values,” Ms. Sanchez said during the rally.
Participating in the FIRM Summit and also at the rally was Gabriel Quintero, an immigrant from Mexico City who has been living in Waukesha, Wis.
“As an immigrant, I feel like it’s not fair what is going on with the laws,” Mr. Quintero said. “I do my best in the name of 12 million people, write my boys and ask for justice for all. We are here because we come to make this country better. We don’t come here to steal any jobs. We are here to give our best and try to raise our family in this great nation.”
Ms. Sanchez introduced three speakers who provided their own testimonials, including Dedra Lewis, a Springfield, Mass., resident. Ms. Lewis spoke about losing her health insurance coverage when she switched from a full-time job to a part-time job to take care of her daughter, who contracted uveitis, an inflammation of the eye that can lead to blindness.
“If I didn’t have SCHIP, my daughter would be blind,” Ms. Lewis said. She pleaded with Washington politicians to continue the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for the sake of the millions of children who lack health insurance.
###
