Politics & Government - 29 January 2007

Pelosi, other Dems failed to report charity positions

Matt Kelley
USA Today
Jan. 29, 2007 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and two other prominent Democrats have failed to disclose they are officers of family charities, in violation of a law requiring members of Congress to report non-profit leadership roles.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, and Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana also did not report they serve as family foundation directors, according to financial-disclosure reports examined by USA Today.

All three foundations are funded and controlled by the lawmakers and their spouses, and do not solicit donations from outside sources.

Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said Friday that the speaker will amend her reports. He said it "was an oversight" that she had not listed her position dating back to 1992.

Members of Congress and top executive branch officials are required to file yearly reports on their personal finances, including any positions they hold with businesses or non-profits. At least 16 other lawmakers from both parties have reported holding similar positions, records show.

Bayh spokeswoman Meghan Keck said it was "simply an oversight" that he did not disclose his charity role. Bayh has since amended his reports, Keck said.

Emanuel, chairman of the House Democratic Conference, does not believe the law requires him to disclose his foundation post, spokeswoman Kathleen Connery said.



Stanley Brand, a former House general counsel, said the 1978 federal law does not allow lawmakers to omit their positions with family non-profits.

When the Democratic-controlled Congress convened Jan. 4, the House changed its ethics rules but did not specifically address financial-disclosure forms.

The Senate passed an ethics bill earlier this month that would boost penalties for knowingly filing false financial-disclosure statements.

2007-01-29 10:11:00 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

John Kerry called this country a pariah isnt that the ultimate insult from the ultimate traitor?

2007-01-29 10:10:48 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

My so-called boyfriend of two years wants to get married, he will pay the mortage and I will have to move out of the house if he died because he wants his children from another marriage to keep the house.... is this legal?

2007-01-29 10:10:45 · 8 answers · asked by andrea m 1 in Law & Ethics

I have been accused of a serious matter at work, and have agreed to take a polygraph test to clear my name.
The truth is I am guilty as accused. But all my life I have been a compulsive liar, and agreed to the test because I figured I could fool the machine.
Any tips?

2007-01-29 10:09:08 · 21 answers · asked by Panama Jack 4 in Law Enforcement & Police

The fundamental idea that politics and religion should not intersect or overlap is flawed. It sounds great in theory; however, in reality I would suspect that most people do not divide their worldview into secular and sacred. For better or for worse, the marriage of politics and religion will not be undermined by political correctness or even the laws governing the seperation of church and state.
We as a society must be mature enough to realize that although we all come to the table of brotherhood, we all do not sit on the same side. All Christians, Muslims, and Jews did not come to the table of America via the same journey, parentage, cultural perspectives, or starting points. Naturally we will not all share the same views on social or political issues. How someone understands his or her faith and how a person uses his or her vote are part of a total picture of how we as a collective people create our world views. The IRS should not seek to antogonize churches for participating in the democratic process. Yes, the church is an institution that is a community of faith, but the church is also an institution that is a community of concerned citizens who usually share the same or simular values and worldviews.

What people vote for or against is usually an extension of what they believe on a sacred level.

Therefore, I do not see anything wrong with like-minded people who happen to belong to the same institution discussing and exercising their right to vote for or endorse a particular candidate.

2007-01-29 10:08:50 · 4 answers · asked by Andre L 1 in Other - Politics & Government

My own feeling is that for once, I wholeheartedly agree with Blair geeting bolshy! Why deny a child a good home just because some choose to believe gay = sinful? If they want to believe it sinful then fine but why should that unpopular, out of tune belief have a direct effect on a childs welfare and future? What's more annoying is that the Catholic Church get paid by Government to provide childcare services so why should they dictate the terms? Especially as they have such a squeaky clean reputation on the child mistreatment issues themselves, (NOT!).
I happen to believe, as I hope many more do, that Homosexuality is not wrong, not a sin and nor does it need to be discriminated agaisnt, it is normal but different, period. Discriminating agaisnt gay people is every bit as wrong as racial discrimination and we need to tolerate not one ounce of it. What is your take people?

2007-01-29 10:08:48 · 33 answers · asked by bumbleboi 6 in Law & Ethics

does the u.s. code of federal regulations supercede the authority of the amendments of the u.s. constitution?

2007-01-29 10:08:32 · 5 answers · asked by john b 1 in Law & Ethics

2007-01-29 10:08:12 · 27 answers · asked by Brotherhood 7 in Politics

This is more of a philosophical question, but does the morality of your cause play a part if you are a soldier in the process of being shot at?

What I mean is, if two soldiers are trying to kill each other, would the soldier from the more "moral" side be more ethical in doing so? Or do the ethics of the situation disappear when it becomes "my life or yours".

For example, was an American G.I. more ethical than a Nazi conscript in the context of the battle they were fighting? In that moment of "kill or be killed" do geopolitics factor in to their morality, or is each one equally justified in killing the other? Pretend they were both drafted to the cause, do they have equal right to fight even if one side is fighting for a cause that is evil?

2007-01-29 10:07:59 · 3 answers · asked by Cyrus A 2 in Law & Ethics

couldnt we do as they did in russia in ww2 and turn it into vodka, it would be value adding and we could export it mainly to 3rd world countries like new zealand and canada. howard has always been a small thinker. the money made from this idea could pay for a pipeline to tasmania to bring water to the mainland

2007-01-29 10:07:01 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

serious question...did you guys fight alot if the dude/dudette was innocent?

2007-01-29 10:06:23 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

Could it be that there is no such thing as a liberal media?

2007-01-29 10:05:18 · 24 answers · asked by Jack Chedeville 6 in Politics

Currently 4 shareholders in a non-public California c-corp all own unrestricted common shares. To prevent us from selling of all or part of our shares to others, I'd like us to convert our shares to restricted. Is this possible?

2007-01-29 10:03:43 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

2007-01-29 10:02:59 · 5 answers · asked by darrin c 1 in Military

2007-01-29 10:01:49 · 14 answers · asked by NWANKWO E 2 in Government

Is that illegal? Should I have reported them?

Or maybe they were letting off steam from a stressful job, I don't know.

2007-01-29 10:01:36 · 22 answers · asked by MBA Grad Student 1 in Law Enforcement & Police

2007-01-29 10:01:29 · 14 answers · asked by Joy o 1 in Law & Ethics

2007-01-29 10:00:04 · 17 answers · asked by pink 1 in Politics

2007-01-29 10:00:03 · 8 answers · asked by Victor Z 1 in Politics

They are all meant to degrade the person.

2007-01-29 09:59:58 · 10 answers · asked by Lou 6 in Other - Politics & Government

They are all meant to degrade the person.

2007-01-29 09:59:44 · 3 answers · asked by Lou 6 in Other - Politics & Government

Hillary Clinton said, 'After all, we still haven't captured Osama bin Laden, have we? And isn't it about time that we got serious about that? I intend to.'

It is just hilarious to hear a Clinton who was in the White House for eight years complain about not getting bin Laden."

2007-01-29 09:59:40 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

My fiance's parents were robbed over the weekend, and a piece of paper with her social security number was amongst things taken.

2007-01-29 09:57:10 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

Ive recently heard that the government is planning to grant amnesty for immigrants, is this true. Does anyone have any more info on this?

2007-01-29 09:56:21 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Immigration

2007-01-29 09:55:53 · 1 answers · asked by Bud's Girl 6 in Law Enforcement & Police

put up with its continued existence? Can we not take back our country?

2007-01-29 09:55:36 · 17 answers · asked by I hate friggin' crybabies 5 in Politics

2007-01-29 09:53:58 · 31 answers · asked by Drop the donkey 2 in Military

i went in their once, back when they claimed they only sold goods made in the U.S.A. and noticed that their employees for the most part were incredibly huge. it has to cost alot for them to maintain their mass.

2007-01-29 09:53:48 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

2007-01-29 09:53:46 · 23 answers · asked by Heller 2 in Government

2007-01-29 09:53:13 · 4 answers · asked by RBG316 1 in Elections