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Gingrich: GOP will retain House
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is in Iowa and will speak at the
Iowa Republican Lincoln Day Dinner with Fox News Sean Hannity tonight.
Gingrich in interviews stated that he does not believe that the Democrats
led by extreme liberal Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can win control of the
House of Representatives. He doesn’t believe that at the end of the day
Americans will vote for the reality of making her the next Speaker of the
House.
Immigration
Gingrich said that looking back on the history of the Republican Party’s
handling of the immigration issue will be viewed as a colossal failure.
"There is no divide in the Republican Party on this issue," Gingrich said.
He stated that everyone believes in securing our borders. Everyone believes
that immigration is a good thing.
Gingrich cited the fact that even Democrat National Chairman Howard Dean has
said that securing our borders is the first priority. He urged Republicans
to take them at their word and for the House to pass a Border Security Act
next week and send it to the Senate.
Gingrich said that amnesty would be disastrous. He stated that the idea of
making illegal immigrants pay a $2,000 fine was a bad idea. He said that for
that cost they could return to Mexico and enter the country legally, and
there is something to be said about someone starting their lives in this
country legally.
Iran
Gingrich called for a policy of regime change in Iran. He urged that
Congress pass the Iranian Freedom Act and begin funding opposition parties
to overthrow the current regime. He further supported the establishing of
Iranian freedom television and radio stations in the area.
Ney investigation
The
Washington Post reports that the Justice Department investigation of
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is both wide ranging and running out of time:
The Miami U.S. Attorney's office has vied with the Justice Department's
Public Integrity Section over who would have primary jurisdiction in the Ney
investigation. Last month, the Justice Department decided that any case
would be brought in the District. Under the statute of limitations, Thursday
was the deadline for bringing bribery charges against Ney focused solely on
his actions related to the Florida casino boat transaction.
Ney's lawyer, Mark Tuohey, said he has been in talks with Justice Department
officials and expects to know within a month or two whether Ney will face
criminal charges. He said the department asked for another extension of the
statute of limitations in recent days, but this time Ney declined.
"We're going through the facts with the government. I don't think there's a
crime here," Tuohey said. "Nothing's decided."
The Post also pointed out that if the Justice Department brings charges of
conspiracy there is still time on the clock for those charges.
Ney is expected to win a primary challenge next week.
Five Democrats arrested
USA Today covers the arrest of five Democrats who demonstrated illegally
in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington:
Five members of Congress were jailed Friday after protesting outside the
Sudanese Embassy over atrocities in the embattled Darfur region.
"The slaughter of the people of Darfur must end," Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif.,
a Holocaust survivor who founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, said
from the embassy steps before his arrest.
Four other Democratic House members — Reps. James McGovern and John Oliver
of Massachusetts, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Jim Moran of Virginia —
were among 11 protesters arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and
unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor subject to a fine.
Justice files dismissal of spy suit
The Justice Department moved to dismiss a federal lawsuit challenging the
Bush administration's terrorists domestic wiretapping program.
The filing urges the judge to dismiss a law suit brought against ATT by the
Internet privacy group, Electronic Frontier Foundation. The group was given
privileged information by an ATT technician about the government’s
capability to monitor calls.
The government’s filing stated that the lawsuit threatens to expose
government and military secrets and therefore should be dismissed. The
administration further stated that the government filing in the case should
not be viewed as a concession that the allegations are true.
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