WASHINGTON

ADMINISTRATION TO APPEAL DISMISSAL OF OBSCENITY INDICTMENT

The Bush administration said yesterday it would seek to reinstate an indictment against a California pornography company that was charged with violating federal obscenity laws. It was Attorney General Gonzales’s first public decision on a legal matter.

Billed as the government’s first big obscenity case in a decade, the 10-count indictment against Extreme Associates Inc. and its owners, Robert Zicari, and his wife, Janet Romano, both of Northridge, Calif., was dismissed last month by U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster of Pittsburgh.

Judge Lancaster ruled prosecutors overstepped their bounds while trying to block the company’s hard-core movies from children and from adults who did not want to see such material.

The Justice Department said it will appeal the ruling to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. While acknowledging the importance of the constitutional guarantee of free speech, Mr. Gonzales said selling or distributing obscene materials does not fall within First Amendment protections.

“The Department of Justice remains strongly committed to the investigation and prosecution of adult obscenity cases,” said Mr. Gonzales, who pledged during his confirmation hearing to pursue obscenity cases.

-Associated Press

SENATOR SPECTER ANNOUNCES HE HAS HODGKIN’S DISEASE

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, announced yesterday that he has Hodgkin’s disease but expects to continue to work in the Senate while being treated. “I have beaten a brain tumor, bypass heart surgery, and many tough political opponents, and I’m going to beat this, too,” Mr. Specter said in a statement.

Hodgkin’s disease is a type of cancer involving the lymph nodes. Specter will receive chemotherapy every two weeks for up to 32 weeks at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, a release from his office said.

Mr. Specter’s doctor, John Glick, said he has an “excellent chance of being completely cured.” Mr. Specter, a 75-year-old moderate who just won re-election to his Senate seat, became Judiciary chairman in January.

Mr. Specter is the first Pennsylvanian elected to five Senate terms, but his 2004 victory was the toughest of his career. Specter barely defeated a conservative former congressman in an April 2004 primary in a race where his age was contrasted with that of his youthful-looking opponent. However, Mr. Specter handily won the general election in November.

He fought to be judiciary chairman earlier this year after right-wing Republicans pushed to have him replaced with a more conservative GOP senator. He has promised to be a strong advocate for all of Mr. Bush’s judicial nominees.

– Associated Press

NORTHWEST

DEAN SEEKS PRESS BLACKOUT, CHANGES MIND

PORTLAND, Ore. – Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, requested a media blackout of a debate with top Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, then quickly changed his mind yesterday after news agencies complained.

“DNC Chair Howard Dean has declared a news blackout of his appearance and requested the media not quote, record, and/or paraphrase his remarks,” event coordinator Gabrielle Williams wrote in an e-mail sent to news agencies yesterday morning. “We apologize for the late notice, but we were just informed of this request.” Less than two hours later, Ms. Williams called to say: “We were told just a few minutes ago that it is now open” for coverage by print and broadcast outlets.

Dean spokeswoman Laura Gross said Dr. Dean had decided the event would be closed before he was elected DNC chairman Saturday, but changed his mind because of his new job.

Mr. Perse, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld’s top policy adviser, is a key architect of the American-led invasion of Iraq, and Dr. Dean is among the war’s most prominent opponents. Mr. Perse said that he was surprised to learn that the press had been barred from covering the debate.

“It seems quite extraordinary that the chairman of the Democratic National Committee would not want the public coverage of this debate,” said Mr. Perse.

– Associated Press