The Hollywood Liberal

Democrats go light on lawyer who pushed Bush’s ‘enhanced interrogation’ policies

Raw Story
Excerpt:
In Tuesday’s public hearing, Democrats avoided asking Rizzo specific questions about the CIA’s secret detention program and treatment policies — promising to ask harder questions behind closed doors. Because the administration’s intelligence activities are laregly classified, members of the Senate intelligence committee were barred from disclosing specifics of programs in public.

In Tuesday’s public hearing, Democrats avoided asking Rizzo specific questions about the CIA’s secret detention program and treatment policies — promising to ask harder questions behind closed doors. Because the administration’s intelligence activities are laregly classified, members of the Senate intelligence committee were barred from disclosing specifics of programs in public.

White House Budget Director Resigns

Huffington Post
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — White House budget director Rob Portman announced his resignation Tuesday, joining a lengthening list of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of President Bush’s administration.

Portman, in a telephone interview, made it clear he might seek a return to elective office, either by running for governor of Ohio or for the Senate.

He said he was leaving for personal reasons. His family has remained in Cincinnati and he has been commuting home on weekends for 14 years.

“I need to be home more. I’ve got three kids ages 12 to 17. It’s just been very hard to spend as much time with them and Jane as I need to at this time of my life,” he said.

Ron Paul Excluded in Iowa

CCNWO
Excerpt:
Iowans for Tax Relief and Iowa Christian Alliance will host a presidential candidates forum on Saturday, June 30th in Des Moines. Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Tommy Thompson, and Tom Tancredo will participate.

Ron Paul, however, will not participate. Why? Because he wasn’t invited.

We heard about this forum from numerous supporters in Iowa who asked why Dr. Paul was not going to participate. Those supporters assumed that Dr. Paul was invited.

The campaign office had not received an invitation so we called this morning; thinking we might have misplaced the invitation or simply overlooked it. Lew Moore, our campaign manager, called Mr. Edward Failor, an officer of Iowans for Tax Relief, to ask about it. To our shock, Mr. Failor told us Dr. Paul was not invited; he was not going to be invited; and he would not be allowed to participate. And when asked why, Mr. Failor refused to explain.

Giuliani campaign chairman indicted

CCNWO
Excerpt:
State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent distribute cocaine, federal and state authorities said at a news conference at SLED headquarters this afternoon.

According to the indictment, beginning in 2005 — before he was elected state treasurer — Ravenel conspired with Michael L. Miller to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Ravenel also was a state director for Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 the GOP presidential bid. The Giuliani campaign said Tuesday Ravenel had left the campaign.