National Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
SOUTH
SECOND JUDGE OUT FOR DELAY TRIAL
AUSTIN, Texas – Two days after Rep. Tom DeLay won a fight to get a new judge in his case, prosecutors yesterday succeeded in ousting the Republican responsible for selecting the new judge.
Administrative Judge B.B. Schraub withdrew after District Attorney Ronnie Earle filed a request to have him removed.
– Associated Press
WASHINGTON
ITALIAN REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS ASSAIL DNC OVER ALITO A group of Italian Republican politicians from New York criticized the Democratic National Committee yesterday for its treatment of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, saying the committee has used “anti-Italian slurs” to mar Judge Alito’s record.
The group, which includes Rep. Vito Fossella; State Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio, and the minority leader of the New York City Council, James Oddo, cited reports of a DNC memo that pointed out that Judge Alito lost a mob-related case as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
Earlier this week, the chairman of the National Italian American Foundation, Kenneth Ciongoli, criticized news outlets for repeated references to Judge Alito’s ethnicity and for referring to him as “Scalito,” a nickname meant to tie him with a conservative Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia.
“Anti-Italian stereotypes and slurs have no place in the confirmation process of a Supreme Court justice,” Mr. Fossella said. “Judge Alito’s integrity, character, and ability to serve on the court is what should be considered by the Senate.”
The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said the hearing on Judge Alito would begin January 2, with a vote by the full Senate expected by January 13.A group of bipartisan senators indicated yesterday that a filibuster of the nominee by Democrats is not now seen as likely.
– Staff Reporter of the Sun
HOUSE BILL COUNTERS COURT DECISION ON EMINENT DOMAIN
Contending that the Supreme Court has undermined a pillar of American society, the sanctity of the home, the House overwhelmingly approved a bill yesterday to block the court-approved seizure of private property for use by developers.
The bill, passed 376-38, would withhold federal money from state and local governments that use powers of eminent domain to force businesses and homeowners to give up their property for commercial uses.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling in June, recognized the power of local governments to seize property needed for private development projects that generate tax revenue. The decision drew criticism from private property, civil rights, farm and religious groups that said it was an abuse of the Fifth Amendment’s “takings clause.”
– Associated Press
FEMA E-MAILS RELEASED
Newly-released e-mails show former FEMA director Michael Brown discussing his wardrobe during the crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina. A House panel has released 23 pages of internal e-mail offering additional evidence of a confused and distracted government response to Katrina, particularly from Brown, the former head of Federal Emergency Management Agency, at critical moments after the storm hit. The e-mails show that Mr. Brown, who had been planning to step down from his post when the storm hit, was preoccupied with his image on television even as one of the first FEMA officials to arrive in New Orleans, Marty Bahamonde, was reporting a crisis situation of increasing chaos to FEMA officials.
– Associated Press