Last week was a busy one for our friends at the Sunlight Network as they celebrated Sunshine Week, which was created to promote policies of increased transparency in government. Sunlight Network National Director Zephyr Teachout gave us the following updates on the state of transparency in the federal government and the current legislative proposals for reform.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
The U.S.
A 23-page, formerly "privileged and confidential" company [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/lgs32a00 discussion document] outlines [[Philip Morris]]' thinking behind its 180-degree turn from strongly opposing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of cigarettes to in fact driving such regulation. It clues us in to the company's logic in proceeding down this path and what the company hopes for and fears most in FDA regulation. It was written by Mark Berlind, who was Assistant General Counsel of Philip Morris Worldwide Regulatory Affairs in 1998.
Berlind recaps PM's history of opposing FDA regulation and recommends that PM USA advocate for regulation instead as a way to maintain the status quo, or "perpetuate the existing framework's philosophy that adults continue to be permitted to assume" the inherent risks of cigarette smoking. Berlind supported the:
This past week was an active one in both the House and Senate, as a number of legislative proposals were taken up on the floor. For a summary of the issues which were debated and considered, we at Congresspedia will again turn to TheWeekInCongress, a project by Robert McElroy. His site is a great resource for citizens wishing to keep track of what their members are up to on Capitol Hill, and we urge you to check it out.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
While fleeing an ambush in Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers reportedly opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians and then destroyed photos and video taken at the scene by freelance journalists.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
The Washington Times reports on the U.S.
This past week was a busy one on Capitol Hill, as both the House and Senate were in session all five days. To summarize the items which were debated and considered on the floor, we will turn to TheWeekInCongress.
The nation's capital has been in an uproar this week over the U.S. attorney firings controversy. Both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees held hearings Tuesday on the matter, where six of eight former U.S. attorneys (all fired in late 2006) testified that they had been the target of complaints, telephone calls and threats from either a high-ranking Justice Department official or members of Congress in the days and weeks preceding their abrupt dismissals. The replacements for the attorneys are rumored to be political appointees with little prosecutorial experience.
The story dates back to March 2006, when President Bush signed the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. The bill included a provision (inserted by a staffer to Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) at the request of the Justice Department) allowing the DOJ to appoint U.S. attorneys indefinitely without a presidential nomination or Senate confirmation (previously, this type of appointment could last only a maximum of 120 days). In late 2006, the administration fired eight U.S. attorneys, insisting each dismissal was motivated by performance.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
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