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Rumsfeld to Testify in Tillman Inquiry

July 31, 2007 8:14 PM

ABC News' Kirit Radia Reports: The Congressional inquiry into the misinformation surrounding U.S. Army Corporal Pat Tillman's death could turn into quite a spectacle when former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies Wednesday.

The House Oversight Committee announced late Tuesday that Rumsfeld will join retired Generals Richard B. Myers, John P. Abizaid, Bryan Douglas Brown and Lt. General Phillip R. Kensinger, Jr. in delivering testimony before the 10:00 am ET hearing.

The hearing has been scheduled for some time but Rumsfeld did not immediately accept the committee's invitation to testify. 

On Tuesday the military sent Kensinger letters of censure and reprimand for his role in covering up the true circumstances of Tillman's death. Kensinger, who commanded U.S. Army Special Forces when Tillman was killed is the highest ranking officer accused of misconduct in the case.

He was found to have failed to notify the family, public, and Army that Tillman was in fact a victim of friendly-fire, then lying to investigators. Tillman, a former NFL star, was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.

July 31, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2)

Cheney Admits 'Wrong' on Iraq

July 31, 2007 5:54 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: Vice President Cheney rarely admits he's wrong.  But when asked by Larry King if he was wrong in May of 2005 when he said the insurgency was in its "last throes," Cheney responded, "I think my estimate at the time -- it was wrong; it turned out to be incorrect." 

"I thought there were a series of these milestones that would in fact undermine the insurgency and make it less than it was at that point.  That clearly didn't happen.  I think the insurgency turned out to be more robust," said Cheney in an interview that will air on CNN Tuesday night.

But Cheney doesn't think he is wrong on the Iraq policy and a number of other issues.  King asked, "Don't you ever say maybe I'm wrong?"  Cheney responded emphatically, "No, I think what we do is we look at it in terms of trying to decide what's the right thing to do, and weigh the evidence." 

Cheney defended embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales whose resignation Democrats have called for following contradictions in congressional testimony over the firing of US attorneys and the Bush administration's domestic spying program.

"Al is a good man, a good friend, in a difficult assignment," he said. 

However Cheney couldn't recall if he sent his "good friend" Gonzales, then White House counsel, and then-White House chief of staff Andy Card to a hospital in 2004 to push the spying program on then-Attorney General John Ashcroft.  Ashcroft was in the hospital recovering from surgery after pancreatitis. 

"I don't recall that I gave instructions to that effect," Cheney answered.  "But certainly I was involved because I was a big advocate of the Terrorist Surveillance Program, and had been responsible and working with General Hayden and George Tenet to get it to the President for approval.  By the time this occurred, it had already been approved about 12 times by the Department of Justice.  There was nothing new about it."

The Vice President also voiced support for his former aide Eric Edelman who is now undersecretary of defense.  Edelman was recently criticized over a spat with Presidential hopeful  Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who requested detailed contingency plans for withdrawing troops if Congress were forced to end the war.  In a letter to Clinton, Edelman said she was reinforcing "enemy propaganda" by asking for pullout plans. 

"I agreed with the letter Eric Edelman wrote," Cheney said. "I thought it was a good letter."

Cheney wouldn't speculate on whether the President will eventually pardon I. Lewis Scooter Libby, another former aide to the Vice President.

July 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (10)

Ann Romney Criticized for Cancer Comment

July 31, 2007 4:16 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: A high-profile cancer patient is angry over comments Ann Romney made about the disease in an interview to People magazine.

Referencing her battle with multiple sclerosis, the wife of Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney recalled, "It wasn't as though I was suicidal, but I was at the point where I thought, 'Couldn't I please just have cancer and die?'"

Some who have battled cancer took offense to Mrs. Romney's comments, responding that the disease is not one to be sought after.

Leroy Sievers, a former ABC News producer and journalist currently battling cancer, responded on his NPR blog, "I could be angry and say that a statement like that is thoughtless. I could try to be sympathetic and say that, just as I don't know a lot about MS, she obviously knows very little about cancer," he wrote, "I'm leaning toward 'angry' ... Cancer is not the lesser of evils. Cancer is the Bear, the Monster, the Murderer."

The Romney campaign defended Mrs. Romney's comment.

"Mrs. Romney was recounting a very real and very difficult emotional reaction to the news about her disease," Romney campaign spokesperson Carolyn Weyforth told ABC News.

"It's something that many people go through, and it's an honest reflection about a difficult period of her life. It's a reflection that has obviously evolved as she has come to terms with the disease."

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, Mrs. Romney is currently symptom-free.

July 31, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (18)

Senators Mum on Corruption Probe

July 31, 2007 3:44 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: On the same day Democrats were heralding a new lobbying and ethics reform package, both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate refused to comment Tuesday on the FBI raid on the home of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

The FBI's political corruption probe into oil services company VECO, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, has led to recent federal grand jury testimony from Barbara Flanders, a financial clerk for Stevens on the Senate Commerce Committee. Flanders, the AP reported, provided documents relating to the senator's bills.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was asked about the House GOP policy of removing from committee assignments Members of Congress under investigation, but Reid would have none of it.

"We have to be careful about punishing people during an investigation," Reid said. "Many investigations go nowhere."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, likewise said he would not comment since, after all, "Sen. Stevens has four decades of service in the United States Senate." McConnell said he "will be discussing the matter with my conference."

As the FBI noose began to tighten earlier this month, Stevens said he had received "overwhelming support" from his fellow Senators on the matter since "it's sort of a family, the Senate family comes around when someone's got a problem, and they've all encouraged me, 'Don't get excited about this' because so many people have been through it in their own states and it's not an easy thing."

Asked by ABC News what the American people would think about this sentiment expressed by a senator whose home was just raided by the FBI, McConnell said, "I don’t have anything to add to the Stevens matter beyond what I said."

For his part, Stevens slipped out the back door of the weekly GOP luncheon. Followed by industrious reporters peppering him with questions, the 83-year-old lawmaker met their inquiries with a chilling silence, angry glares, and no comment. Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in US Senate history, is up for re-election next year.

July 31, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (13)

F. Thompson Raises $3.4 Million in June

July 31, 2007 3:08 PM

ABC News' Christine Byun reports: Yet-to-be announced Republican '08 candidate Fred Thompson raised $3.4 million dollars during the first month of his testing-the-waters phase in June.

Thompson, a former Republican senator and Law & Order star, gathered financial support from about 7,500 online donations and two fundraising events.

Most of Thompson's donations came from his homestate of Tennessee, according to an IRS report made available by his campaign Tuesday.

Thompson's exploratory committee, "Friends of Fred," spent $625,746 in their first month, covering travel expenses, hiring staff and consultants, and renting offices in Nashville and Virginia. Their single costliest expenditure went to web services.

In a statement, Thompson said the "level of support and enthusiasm from people across this country is inspiring."

However, some had expected Thompson to raise around $5 million. His spokeswoman Linda Rozett said she did not know where that number - or expectation - came from, but she told ABC News that she "suspects it was a product of summer in Washington with too many political pundits with not enough to do," Rozett said.

Thompson will continue to "proceed vigorously" as he continues to meet with Republican leaders, fundraise and test the waters, Rozett said. She said he has not made a decision about whether or not he will run for the Republican nomination for president.

Fueling speculation about when he will declare his candidacy, Thompson continues his fundraising drive Tuesday night, attending a $1000 per person fundraiser at a private home in Newport, California.

July 31, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Obama Ad Touts Lobby Reform

July 31, 2007 2:44 PM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Sen. Barack Obama has launched a new television ad touting his record in reforming lobbying and ethics laws, opening a fresh -- and subtle -- front in his ongoing battle with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The new ad from Obama, D-Ill., points out that he is refusing to accept contributions from political action committees and registered lobbyists. He is also hammering at that same message with signs he’s hanging at his campaign offices in Iowa: "Not Paid for by PAC or Federal Lobbyist Money."

"They think they own this government," Obama says in the ad, which is set to start running in Iowa Wednesday. "But we're here today to take it back."

Though the ad does not mention Clinton, D-N.Y., by name, it is clearly meant to draw a contrast between the two Democratic front-runners. Clinton is benefiting substantially from her deep ties to the Washington establishment in her run for president, while Obama casts himself as an outsider who would bring a fresh approach to politics.

Clinton has raised more than $413,000 directly from registered lobbyists and their family members so far this campaign -- by far the most of any presidential candidate in either party, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign-finance data.

Obama -- who has raised more money than Clinton for the primary campaign -- has received just $60,000 from lobbyists and their families, according to the center's calculations. His campaign has also returned some $55,000 Obama aides later learned came from federally registered lobbyists; he has promised to return all such money, but the campaign is not returning donations from the family members of lobbyists.

In addition, 10 of Clinton's "HillRaisers" -- supporters who have committed to raising $100,000 or more for Clinton's presidential campaign -- are federally registered lobbyists. They represent interests including trial lawyers, Indian tribes, airlines, and cable companies.

The Clinton campaign declined to comment about Obama's new ad. Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman, said the ad was not designed to disparage Clinton or any other Democratic candidate.

"The advertisments help to educate Iowans about Obama's record of achievement in fighting for reform and changing politics," Burton said.

Though Obama has returned all money he's received from lobbyists registered with the federal government, he has accepted donations from state-level lobbyists. His campaign has received more than $120,000 from individuals who are currently or who once were registered to lobby the state government in Illinois.

Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, said Obama is trying to create an impression that he is a different kind of politician.

"He needs to draw distinctions with Senator Clinton, and he needs to do it relatively quickly," Squire said. "He wants to tout the notion that he's the different Democrat this time, that he's the one that represents change. I don't think it will change too many votes, but he's hoping more for a cumulative effect."

July 31, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (9)

Bush Calls Roberts Following Seizure

July 31, 2007 10:20 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck reports: White House Press Secretary Tony Snow told reporters during an off-camera briefing that President Bush called Chief Justice John Roberts Tuesday morning between 7:30am and 8:00am. 

When Bush asked Roberts about his health, "the Chief Justice reassured him he was doing fine," Snow said.  The President said he sounded like he was in "great spirits and doing well," according to Snow.

Roberts, 52 fell Monday at his vacation home in Maine after suffering a seizure. The seizure caused the chief justice to fall on a dock, where he sustained minor scrapes. Doctors have found no tumor, stroke or any other explanation for the seizure.

Roberts had a similar, unexplained attack in 1993.

Snow said Tuesday that the White House was aware of Roberts' seizure in 1993 when they nominated him to the Supreme Court.

July 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (0)

Cheney Disregards Judiciary Chairman's Views of Gonzales

July 30, 2007 6:41 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: Vice President Dick Cheney said President Bush has the final say when it comes to the credibility of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

In an interview with Mark Knoller of CBS radio, Cheney disregarded Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy's mistrust of Gonzales, "I've had my differences with Pat Leahy. I think the key is whether or not he [Gonzales] has the confidence of the President, and he clearly does."

Cheney's "differences" with Leahy go back to 2004 when he told Sen. Leahy to "go f--- yourself" on the Senate Floor. Cheney's spokesman at the time said, "That doesn’t sound like language that the Vice President would use. But I can confirm that there was a frank exchange of views." Cheney later confirmed the incident in Stephen Hayes' book.

Cheney said he is a "big fan of Al's" and Gonzales "has testified truthfully."

Cheney's comments come as the House is considering an impeachment resolution for Gonzales and the Senate has requested a Special Counsel to investigate perjury charges.

On other issues, Cheney said he disagreed with the guilty verdict given to his former aide I Lewis "Scooter" Libby for perjury.

On being publicly "demonized" for the Iraq strategy, Cheney said, "It has been rough, I would say, from a political standpoint, certainly" but President Bush has "made decisions because he thinks it's the right thing to do for the nation."

Cheney said he took no official actions while serving for over two hours as President while President Bush had a colonoscopy over a week ago. "I basically wrote a letter to my grandkids…a souvenir for them to have down the road some day."

July 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3)

British Invasion

July 30, 2007 4:39 PM

ABC News' Jordan Hultine Reports: Gordon Brown, Great Britain's new Prime Minister, met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for a brief photo-op on Monday.

None of the three men made remarks in front of  the gathered cameras, but that didn't stop the press from attempting to hurl a question at Brown at which point they were all hustled out of the room, told the photo-op "was done."

The Capitol Hill visit came after a weekend meeting with President Bush at Camp David. Brown also met briefly with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Brown arrived at Camp David Sunday for his first official meeting with President Bush, although the two had met previously. The two leaders talked strategy on the war in Iraq, killings in Darfur and stalled global trade during a private dinner Sunday and further meetings Monday morning.

Brown then came to Washington to meet with Congressional leaders.

July 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1)

Giuliani Gets Healthy

July 30, 2007 2:12 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: As a preview to Tuesday's health care address by Rudy Giuliani in Rochester, NH, the former Mayor's health care advisers held a conference call with reporters in which they discussed the broad outlines of the Mayor's health care plan, which opposes employer and individual mandates, and favors individual health insurance, complete with a $15,000 tax deduction.

No one should expect a 700-page health care proposal to be sitting on chairs at the Rochester town meeting, Giuliani campaign staffers cautioned.

Rather, they said, this is more about a guiding set of principles, including empowering individuals and not government bureaucrats, respecting states as places where innovation occurs, limiting the role of the federal government to helping the market work more effectively, and creating a mandate-free health care delivery system that builds on what currently exists.

On Monday the advisers -- led by former Indianapolis Mayor Steve Goldsmith, one of the original self-styled "compassionate conservatives," and former Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mark McClellan -- shied away from discussing key elements voters will likely want to know more about -- such as whether the Mayor's proposal would include mental health care parity or whether he would support allowing the federal government to use its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices for the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which is currently banned.

Dan Kessler, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, said the Giuliani plan would "correct the tax bias against individually-purchased insurance and out-of-pocket spending."

Kessler said this bias was responsible for the growth in procedures and tests that don't provide good value. That would bring costs down, he said, while Giuliani would also seek to create more incentives for states.

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Dr. David Gratzer, a physician and author of "The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care," said that Democrats were moving towards socialized medicine, looking towards Canada and Europe for answers.

"We need a made-in-America solution," Gratzer said.

Giuliani's plan reflects the "need to put the doctor and the patient back in charge," said Sally C. Pipes, president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco-based think tank Pacific Research Institute.

She said Democrats pushing for universal coverage through individual and employer mandates "will not solve the problem of the uninsured. We need to open up the market and improve on the best health care system in the world."

This would include deregulating the insurance market and allowing individuals to buy insurance across state lines.

ABC News asked if the advisers could name one thing in the Mayor's proposal that might at all upset the health insurance or pharmaceutical industries.

"I don't think any one group will like all of it or dislike all of it," Goldsmith said, adding that "overall it will be greeted quite favorably by those who have to buy the product."

July 30, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (0)