Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:37:48 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jamie Dettmer :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Jamie+Dettmer istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/gutierrez-tapped-to-lead-commerce/5519/ Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Making his first appointment toward revamping the economic team for his second term, President Bush yesterday picked Cuban-born Carlos Gutierrez, the chief executive officer of Kellogg Co., to be secretary of commerce. Mr. Gutierrez will replace Donald Evans, an old Texan friend of the president's, who announced his departure shortly after the election. Several members of Mr. Bush's economic team have handed in their notice already or said they plan to leave the administration when... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-urged-to-focus-on-9-11-bill/5451/ Mon, 29 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - A former New Jersey governor, Thomas Kean, and Senator Lieberman yesterday warned that intelligence reform will fail to pass this year unless President Bush exerts more pressure on holdout House Republicans. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Mr. Kean, a Republican who co-chaired the September 11 commission, said "the president has got to go to work." He added that after months of negotiations on the intelligence overhaul, the crucial question "is whether it will pass now or after... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/rather-steps-down-after-taunting-the-alligator/5297/ Wed, 24 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Perhaps Dan Rather should have taken his own advice: "One's reminded of that old saying, 'Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek,'" the veteran broadcaster said on Election Night. Mr. Rather announced yesterday that he will step down in March as anchor of "CBS Evening News." The announcement came just weeks after bloggers backing President Bush successfully pressured him and CBS to retract an unsubstantiated pre-election report casting aspersions on Mr... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/dean-steps-up-his-bid-for-leadership/5218/ Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - A former presidential candidate, Governor Dean, is stepping up his lobbying effort to succeed Terence McAuliffe as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is canvassing for support on Capitol Hill, House members said. His focus has been on lawmakers who endorsed his White House bid, but the former Vermont governor is also lobbying members of Congress who backed Democratic primary rivals Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Senator Kerry. Dr. Dean has touted his success at... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/lawmakers-seek-presidents-help-to-pass-9-11-bill/5153/ Mon, 22 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders yesterday urged President Bush to spend political capital on getting the House to pass an overhaul of the nation's intelligence agencies, arguing that unless he does so, there will be no reform approved this year. They hope to bring intelligence reform legislation, which was blocked on Saturday, back in early December for a floor vote, but the leaders said the White House will have to focus much more on getting it passed. "For us to do the bill in early... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/antics-of-canadian-aimed-at-bush-on-eve/5064/ Fri, 19 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - An antiwar Canadian lawmaker stomped on a doll of President Bush during a television satire just more than a week before the American leader is due to arrive in Ottawa for a two-day visit, reinforcing worries about the rowdy reception Mr. Bush may get north of the border. The stunt by the Liberal member of Parliament, Carolyn Parrish, who tossed a Bush doll on the floor and ground it under her heel, embarrassed Prime Minister Martin. After trying to downplay the incident, Mr... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/companies-that-broke-iraq-sanctions-awarded/5003/ Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Multinational banks and European companies that did business with Saddam Hussein and broke the sanctions imposed on Iraq before his ouster have been awarded contracts by the Iraqi interim government and American officials. One of the companies receiving Iraqi contracts, Scotland's giant engineering firm the Weir Group, was highlighted this week in a Senate hearing for having transferred millions of dollars of kickbacks into a secret Swiss bank account in order to secure contracts... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-nominates-rice-as-secretary-of-state/4935/ Wed, 17 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday nominated national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state and tapped her deputy, Stephen Hadley, to succeed her in the administration. "The secretary of state is America's face to the world, and in Dr. Rice, the world will see the strength, the grace, and the decency of our country," Mr. Bush said as his newly nominated top diplomat stood, slightly teary, at his side. Mr. Bush said his pick for Foggy Bottom is... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/chirac-and-blair-in-tussle-over-relations-with/4941/ Wed, 17 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - An open clash between President Chirac and Prime Minister Blair over whether it is even worth bothering trying to repair troubled relations between America and Europe has left Bush administration officials surprised. In comments appearing to undercut the encouraging tone set by Mr. Chirac in a phone call he had with President Bush last week, in which he agreed that a fresh effort was needed to push trans-Atlantic relations back on track, the French leader said he wasn't sure... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/saddams-pilfering-via-the-un-estimated-at-21/4853/ Tue, 16 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Congressional investigators have doubled the estimate of cash Saddam Hussein generated from subverting the oil-for-food program of the United Nations. They told a Senate subcommittee yesterday that at least $21 billion was secured by the Iraqi dictator from a range of illegal schemes, including oil smuggling and kickbacks. Previous studies by American government agencies of illicit revenue flows concluded that Mr. Hussein's regime generated $10 billion from sanctions busting from... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/blair-says-us-should-delay-sending-envoy/4796/ Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - As Palestinian Arab officials met yesterday to advance their plans to elect in January a replacement for their dead leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Blair acknowledged there was a long process ahead before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be brokered, and said the sending of a peace envoy by President Bush would be premature. Speaking on American TV, Mr. Blair said the single most important blow that could be delivered to Middle East terrorism would be the... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/cheney-protects-rumsfelds-job-until-the-spring/4694/ Fri, 12 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Donald Rumsfeld is likely to remain at the Pentagon until the spring, enabling him to to stay in the administration through the Iraqi elections and advance his plans for transforming the American military, despite strong pressure from key White House political advisers for him to leave sooner. According to well-placed Pentagon sources, Vice President Cheney has argued the case for Mr. Rumsfeld to remain as defense secretary until at least the spring, and Mr. Cheney would prefer... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/senator-dole-is-eyeing-leadership-of-key-senate/4714/ Fri, 12 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - After maintaining a low profile in her first two years in the Senate, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina has launched an aggressive campaign to become the first woman to head the GOP committee that works to help elect Republicans to the upper chamber. The one-time presidential candidate and two-time Cabinet secretary has become the favorite to secure the job of running the National Republican Senatorial Committee, an influential body that raises money for GOP candidates and outlines... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/fight-brewing-over-dean-at-dnc/4549/ Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST Democratic moderates are gearing up to mount a campaign to block a former presidential candidate, Howard Dean, from succeeding Terence McAuliffe as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, arguing that his election to the top post would prevent the party from moving to the political center. The fight over the chairmanship risks becoming acrimonious, with Democrats already engaged in angry exchanges over who is primarily to blame for last week's defeat in the presidential election and... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-reaches-out-to-blair-europe-in-move/4502/ Tue, 9 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - In a move partly designed to reward Prime Minister Blair for past support and to reach out to European leaders, President Bush will signal later this week his intention to renew American engagement in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Briefing reporters yesterday ahead of Mr. Blair's visit on Thursday and Friday to Washington, the British leader's aides said a "clear signal of intent" designed to highlight the goal of providing new momentum to the stalled peace... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/british-dislike-of-bush-may-pressure-blair-to-be/4351/ Fri, 5 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Blair is poised to be more critical of President Bush and may press to be repaid for his past support from Britain, even if it places strain on Anglo-American relations, British political sources say. Mr. Bush's re-election win was greeted with horror by much of the British press, with the Daily Mirror, a left-wing newspaper, asking the bald question on its front-page yesterday: "How can 59,054,087 people be so dumb?" The tone of the fallout may give Mr. Blair little... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-triumphant-declares-a-season-of-hope/4245/ Thu, 4 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Celebrating a momentous election victory that stunned foes and surprised some supporters, President Bush promised yesterday to "serve all Americans" and appealed for the backing of Democrats, pledging to earn their respect in a "season of hope." Mr. Bush's remarks in a victory speech before a rapturous, flag-waving crowd of hundreds of party faithful in downtown Washington came after his rival, Senator Kerry, spared America days of wrenching uncertainty and the rancor of a... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/gop-appears-to-defeat-daschle-in-south-dakota/4181/ Wed, 3 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - The Republicans were on track last night to retain control of the House of Representatives and to expand their razor-thin majority in the Senate. They also appeared poised to grab a prize they have sought for years - the political head of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. The Republicans looked set to increase their numbers in the Senate to 53 or 54 from 51, winning contests in Democratic-held North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana. State Senator Barack Obama, a... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-kerry-in-final-charge-to-break-deadlocked/4108/ Tue, 2 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush and Senator Kerry charged through a frantic final day of campaigning yesterday from the crack of dawn until late at night, hoping to eke out the votes that would allow them to break what opinion polls say is a deadlocked race. Now the historic decision is handed to America's voters. An upbeat Mr. Bush, who said his enthusiastic supporters had given him a second wind, started at Ohio on a six state, seven-stop tour that took in the upper Midwest before finishing down... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-kerry-scramble-to-finish/4035/ Mon, 1 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush and Senator Kerry scrapped furiously yesterday for votes in the critical states of Florida and Ohio, searching for last-minute support as the bruising election race entered its final 48 hours without any clear guide from national or battleground opinion polls as to who will win tomorrow. The president campaigned from one end of Florida to the other before flying to Ohio for a rally in Cincinnati, as Mr. Kerry sped north from Ohio to New Hampshire before arriving in... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/kerry-likens-iraq-events-to-bay-of-pigs-mistake/3965/ Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Campaigning yesterday in deadlocked battleground states in the Midwest, Senator Kerry mounted fresh attacks blaming President Bush for the disappearance of hundreds of tons of high-grade explosives from a military depot, and the president found his stance on the issue undercut unexpectedly by Mayor Giuliani. Both campaigns have been seeking to frame a four-day dispute over the explosives that vanished from Al Qaqaa in terms of support for American troops in Iraq. Mr. Bush has... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-strikes-back-over-war-criticism/3895/ Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush struck back yesterday at Democrats blaming him for the disappearance in Iraq of hundreds of tons of explosives. The response came as opinion polls showed a confused election map, with more states, including New Jersey, turning competitive. Speaking in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where polls have the presidential candidates locked in a tight race, Mr. Bush accused Senator Kerry of making wild charges and of demeaning American troops in the field - part of... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/ambush-by-news-alleged-by-gop-as-vote-nears/3829/ Wed, 27 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Republicans sent allegations flying yesterday over what Bush supporters call an effort by news organizations to mount an ambush of the president in the final days of the race for the White House by repackaging an old story about missing high-grade explosives in Iraq. Senator Kerry mocked Mr. Bush for failing to address directly bad news about the war on terror, while the president scored the Democratic nominee for departing from the great traditions of his party on national... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/clinton-giuliani-take-to-the-hustings/3753/ Tue, 26 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - The presidential campaigns ratcheted up their already fierce rhetoric in the battleground states and pulled out their party stars, President Clinton and Mayor Giuliani, as Senator Kerry accused President Bush yesterday of "unbelievable incompetence" for the disappearance in Iraq of hundreds of tons of high-grade explosives. "My opponent has the wrong strategy for the wrong country at the wrong time," Mr. Bush shot back after the Democratic nominee pounded him over reports, from the... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/thanks-to-texas-gop-likely-to-keep-control/3693/ Mon, 25 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Before Congress recessed earlier this month, Democratic leaders insisted House Republicans were in for a November surprise, but the GOP is confident that Democrats' bid to retake the House will be foiled by the power of incumbency and a controversial redistricting in Texas engineered by Majority Leader Tom DeLay. With just over a week to go before voters cast their ballots, the Republicans' 12-seat majority in the House appears solid, although the Democrats may be able to whittle... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/kerry-hunting-conservative-votes/3597/ Fri, 22 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - With less than two weeks left before Election Day, Senator Kerry shifted the focus of his stump speech yesterday to domestic issues from national security. The Democratic presidential nominee emphasized stem-cell research, an issue that particularly resonates with women, and launched a "guns and God" campaign appeal that may bring him more men's votes. Wooing undecided voters in the Midwest, where the presidential campaigns have been focused all week in the gritty political... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/candidates-clawing-for-lead-in-midwest-as-kerry/3526/ Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Polls suggested yesterday that Senator Kerry may have clawed a slight edge over President Bush in key battleground states that will determine the outcome of the White House race. While the incumbent's campaign is holding up across the country in several national polls and is even securing apparent momentum in some, including a Fox News survey yesterday that gave the president a lead of five percentage points, Mr. Kerry is scratching out a slight advantage in crucial states in the... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/florida-now-toss-up-state-polls-show/3449/ Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - As Florida moved yesterday in opinion polls from a Bush-leaning state to a tossup, Senator Kerry launched a fierce counterattack against the president. The Democrat rebutted Republican accusations that he's ill-equipped to be commander in chief and argued that Social Security is on the line on Election Day. The Kerry campaign rolled out two new TV spots that it hopes will bolster the Massachusetts senator's credentials on national security and blunt the impact of Republican attacks... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/furious-skirmishing-erupts-on-hustings-as/3383/ Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush and Senator Kerry skirmished furiously on the campaign trail yesterday over the war on terror and the future of Social Security. Mr. Bush scored his Democratic challenger for employing "shameless scare tactics," and Mr. Kerry accused the president of engaging in "arrogant boasting" about Iraq. The exchanges by the candidates coincided with the emergence of new fears about the efficiency of Florida's voting system. Computer problems plagued the start yesterday of... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/in-hurricanes-wake-jeb-bush-is-seen-as-a-powerful/3336/ Mon, 18 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Jeb Bush may be an even greater asset for the president this year than he was in 2000 when it comes to eking out votes in the Sunshine State, worrying Democratic strategists who see the Florida governor as their biggest obstacle in a state that could again play a decisive role in determining who wins the White House. Governor Bush is hoping to avoid a repeat of that tumultuous election night four years ago, when the networks called the state prematurely for Vice President Gore and... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/london-guardian-seeks-to-rally-voters-against-bush/3263/ Fri, 15 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - A liberal British newspaper's campaign to influence the White House race, by having its readers write to undecided voters in a key county in the must-win state of Ohio, has prompted senior Republican lawmakers to question whether the Capitol Hill press accreditation should be withdrawn from the publication's two Washington correspondents. The write-in campaign started this week by the London-based, 400,000-circulation Guardian, is focused on Ohio's Clark County and is seen as a bid... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/in-verbal-joust-both-bush-and-kerry-play-fast/3187/ Thu, 14 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - In their third and last face-off before the election last night, President Bush and Democrat presidential nominee John Kerry were as selective about the facts as they were in their previous debates. In his effort to paint his opponent as a political extremist and lifelong liberal bent on raising taxes and government spending, the president claimed Mr. Kerry's voting record is to the left of Senator Kennedy's. "There's a mainstream in American politics and you sit right on the far... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/mud-is-flying-in-florida-senate-race/3123/ Wed, 13 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Even by Florida's roughhouse standards, the U.S. Senate race to replace the retiring Senator Graham has descended into an ugly tussle. Judging by an ad unveiled this week by the Democratic candidate, Betty Castor, blasting Republican Mel Martinez for being soft on terrorism, the mud-slinging is likely to worsen. The ad, which began airing in Tallahassee yesterday and is to be broadcast statewide today, accuses Mr. Martinez of "allowing" George W. Bush four years ago to campaign and... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/tar-heel-toss-up-is-seen-in-race-for-senate/3041/ Tue, 12 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - A month ago, GOP hopes of capturing the seat Senator Edwards is vacating in North Carolina looked to be misguided. A former chief of staff for President Clinton, Erskine Bowles, enjoyed a double-digit lead in polls. In the past few days, however, the picture has changed, and now the Tar Heel State is a toss-up. That doesn't surprise Mr. Bowles's rival for the seat, Richard Burr, a fifth term Republican congressman from Winston-Salem, who promised jittery backers in the state and... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/congress-sends-corporate-tax-cut-bill-to-president/3049/ Tue, 12 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Lawmakers headed to their home states and districts yesterday after the Senate sent President Bush a $136 billion corporate tax cut and disaster aid bill on a 69-17 vote, which included the support of Senators Clinton and Schumer. Both New York senators have criticized deficit-funded tax cuts in recent weeks, and Mr. Schumer has been a fierce critic of ethanol subsidies included in the bill. Even so, they joined 67 of their Senate colleagues in passing a measure that cuts taxes for... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/of-all-senate-races-gop-hungers-most-for/2965/ Mon, 11 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Senate races don't get much more furious than the intense struggle being waged in South Dakota. In their bid to keep control of the upper house, Republicans have targeted half a dozen Senate seats held by Democrats, but the one that would give the Grand Old Party the greatest glee to capture is the one occupied by the minority leader, Thomas Daschle. Last month, a national audience got a glimpse of what South Dakotans have been experiencing for months in an intense race pitting Mr... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/kerry-accuses-bush-of-rigging-data-before-war/2891/ Fri, 8 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - For the first time, Senator Kerry accused President Bush and Vice President Cheney yesterday of deliberately manipulating intelligence to provide a rationale for the invasion of Iraq. He said the evidence of weapons of mass destruction that the administration offered to the nation as a reason for the war was overblown and "purposefully used to shift the focus from Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden to Iraq and Saddam Hussein." On the eve of a debate with Mr. Kerry that Mr. Bush may need... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-rhetoric-toward-kerry-turns-harsh/2816/ Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - President Bush picked up yesterday where his running mate left off in his contentious debate Tuesday night with Senator Edwards. In a scathing speech in Pennsylvania, Mr. Bush portrayed the Democratic ticket as wavering in the war on terror, favoring tax increases, and sending mixed signals to allies and foes. In his most pointed attack yet on Senator Kerry, the president blasted his Democrat challenger for adopting a "strategy of retreat" when it comes to Iraq and of advocating an... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/cheney-edwards-sharpen-the-campaign/2744/ Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST Vice President Cheney, a Washington veteran, and Senator Edwards, a freshman in Congress, clashed repeatedly last night over Iraq, the war on terror, and their personal political track records. Their 90-minute debate in Cleveland saw both parties' running mates fiercely trading barbs as they sought to boost their tickets. Neither gave ground in the only scheduled vice presidential debate of the election campaign. The Democratic senator from North Carolina belied his nickname of "Mr. Nice" and... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/public-spotlight-focuses-on-vp-debate/2694/ Tue, 5 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - With opinion polls showing the gap between the presidential candidates shrinking, the stakes have risen for tonight's debate in Cleveland between the parties' vice presidential nominees. Both campaigns say the face-off is taking on greater importance than normal for running-mate showdowns. Republicans are depending on Vice President Cheney to halt the sudden loss of GOP momentum since last week's performance by the president in his foreign policy showdown with John Kerry. Democrats... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/australian-warns-pullout-from-iraq-would-be-defeat/2600/ Mon, 4 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST Australia's opposition Labor Party promised during the weekend to maintain the country's traditional strong alliance with America if it wins the bitterly fought October 9 election, but the party leader, Mark Latham, is standing by his campaign pledge to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq by Christmas. The prime minister, John Howard, has denounced that position as "cutting and running." According to Mr. Howard, a conservative who is seeking to become only the third Australian leader ever to... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/iran-barbarity-aired-by-court/2528/ Fri, 1 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - As reports mount of a harsh crackdown in Iran on dissidents, journalists, and minorities, an international panel of nine eminent jurists, diplomats, and human-rights activists is urging the International Red Cross and the United Nations to demand access to the country's prisons and judicial proceedings. The call made by the International Moral Court came after it held three days of hearings in Paris last week and heard hours of bleak testimony about systematic human-rights abuses... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/bush-kerry-to-begin-showdown-debates-in-florida/2455/ Thu, 30 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - After sniping and sneering at each other at a distance for months, President Bush and Senator Kerry arrived in Florida yesterday ready finally to stare one another down in the first in a series of three presidential debates that could determine the outcome of their battle for the White House. In the final hours leading up to the world today." tonight's debate in Coral Gables focusing on foreign policy, intense skirmishing erupted between the opposing camps, with Vice President... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/congress-sees-intelligence-bill-postponement/2401/ Wed, 29 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - House and Senate leaders are signaling that they may face insurmountable obstacles in their bid to overhaul the nation's intelligence community before the elections. Senate Majority Leader Frist of Tennessee has begun to talk in terms of passing legislation before the end of the year instead of before November 2. Some congressmen say privately that reform may not be achievable until next year and question the chances of passing significant legislation during a lameduck session... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/italian-mayors-decision-to-ban-burkas-sparks/2341/ Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST Italy is in the throes of a vitriolic debate about religious tolerance and national identity following the decision of the mayor of an Alpine village in the northeast of the country to ban the wearing of the burka. The ban, which was introduced in the tiny village of Drezzo after the mayor cited a Mussolini-era law and fined a local Muslim convert for wearing the head-to-toe covering in public, is being taken up by other villages in north Italy and has triggered a furious reaction from Italy's... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/powell-is-less-upbeat-on-iraq-than-president/2278/ Mon, 27 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Powell appeared to undercut yesterday the more upbeat message on Iraq that President Bush has been pressing on the campaign trail and cautioned that the insurgency in Iraq is worsening as terrorists seek to disrupt the run-up to Iraqi elections scheduled for January. Mr. Powell's warning about the challenge ahead in Iraq came hours after the American military announced the arrest of a top Iraqi National Guard commander for alleged ties to insurgents. The military... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/democrats-launch-ads-targeting-bushes-links/2197/ Fri, 24 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON -The campaign advertising war turned even more negative yesterday with the airing by a Democratic advocacy group of two spots accusing President Bush of suppressing evidence linking the Saudi royal family with the September 11 terror attacks because of past business ties. The Michael Moore-style ads broadcast by the Media Fund, a 527 group led by a former Clinton deputy chief of staff, Harold Ickes, say that Mr. Bush and his family are too close to the "wealthy, powerful, corrupt"... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/officials-say-ex-pop-singer-linked-to-hamas/2146/ Thu, 23 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Homeland Security officials said yesterday that British pop star Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, was barred from entering America and sent back to London because of "new intelligence" information linking him with the Palestinian Arab terrorist organization Hamas. Family and friends of Mr. Islam, who was due to arrive in London this morning after being detained in Bangor, Maine, following the diverting on Tuesday afternoon of his United Airlines flight from London to... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/foreign/america-warns-south-korea-against-interfering/2150/ Thu, 23 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - The State Department has warned South Korea to avoid interfering in the American presidential race and has urged Roh Moohyun's administration to observe all American laws barring foreigners from contributing to political campaigns. Seoul has been advised also to comply with international treaties prohibiting diplomats from meddling in internal politics. The warning came in the wake of allegations this week that a South Korean intelligence official assisted a senior Kerry campaign... JAMIE DETTMER http://www.nysun.com/national/probe-sought-into-role-in-kerry-campaign/2049/ Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - A federal investigation was urged yesterday into allegations that a South Korean intelligence operative assisted in raising funds for the Kerry campaign from Asian-Americans. The South Korean Embassy refused last night to comment on the claims that Chung Byung-Man, a consular official in Los Angeles until his recall in May, paired with Atlanta businessman Rick Yi, a retired American Army major, to solicit tens of thousands of dollars in donations in California for the Kerry...