Democrats tap top Obama lawyer to counter Darrell Issa

House Democrats are hiring a top attorney from President Barack Obama’s National Security Council to help lead their charge against Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the committee, has tapped David Rapallo, an experienced congressional investigator, to be the Democratic staff director for the oversight panel, which will be the center of attention for a wide range of investigations when Republicans take control of the House.

It’s a job familiar to the University of California-trained attorney: He spent 11 years as a minority subcommittee director, later serving as Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman’s chief investigative counsel on the oversight committee. Rapallo was also general counsel on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“With this committee set to face many serious challenges in the next Congress, I am confident that David’s vast experience in oversight and investigations will be pivotal to our success. I am proud to announce David’s appointment today and [to] welcome him back to the committee,” Cummings said in a statement.

The hiring of Rapallo shows that Democrats are serious about countering Issa’s aggressive oversight agenda and want experienced investigators on hand to deal with the Republican majority.

But the new focus on oversight and investigations is extending well beyond the Capitol. On K Street, lobbying shops are also moving quickly to inject new talent into their ranks to guide corporations and clients through the investigation process.

For example, Chicago-based SNR Denton announced that outgoing Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) will join its white-collar and government investigations practice as a partner. Several K Street sources said lobbying firms are scurrying to hire top D.C. hands to position themselves as key resources for oversight and investigations.

And this all comes as Issa’s staff is working behind the scenes to carefully assemble an investigation schedule, which is set to include probes into everything from the Food and Drug Administration to corruption in Afghanistan.

The action on all these fronts in the days before the 112th Congress opens shows that oversight has suddenly become a hot topic in Washington, and it’s forcing the White House, House Democrats and the influence industry to take notice.

Republicans have begun to lay out their hearing schedule, which will include investigations into how regulation affects job creation; inquiries into Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the foreclosure crisis; and an examination of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission’s failure to come to agreement on the cause of the crisis. Issa also wants to investigate WikiLeaks disclosures.

(source:politico.com)

Skabar lobbying for remand centre

AMHERST – Brian Skabar is well aware of how people in this part of Nova Scotia feel about the loss of the area’s lone correctional centre and he’s working to try to minimize the impact.

The Cumberland North MLA said he is as disappointed as everyone about his government’s decision to build one new correctional centre to replace aging jails in Amherst and Antigonish, and he’s working with Justice Minister Ross Landry to put something in place that will handle the immediate demands of the system.
“I have spoken to the minister about concerns with the maintenance of the justice system in the Amherst area after the jail is gone and have been given every assurance that arrangements will be in place,” Skabar said Wednesday.
“There should be a press release from the minister’s office soon on that.”
Skabar said a remand centre is something he is hoping the province will commit to so that offenders don’t have to be shuttled across northern Nova Scotia between court appearances.
Soon after the province announced its plan to build a new jail somewhere between Truro and Antigonish, the local legal community and law enforcement agencies expressed concern with the administration of justice if offenders had to be shipped back and forth to another part of the province.
Skabar has made those concerns known to the justice minister and feels a remand centre in the area would alleviate those problems.
Since Landry’s decision, Skabar has taken a lot of heat from his constituents. Skabar understands the frustration, adding that as much as he understands the decision, it hasn’t made it easier to accept.
The MLA said that during the spring election campaign, he advocated making the jail decision on the best business case. At that time, he figured the plan was to build two jails and that Amherst would probably be an economical choice over the previous government’s proposed jail in Springhill.
But now that the province’s financial picture was clarified, he understands the decision to build one jail instead of two. That doesn’t mean he has to like it.
“Do I support the government's position on this matter? I do. Do I like it? No,” Skabar said.
“As someone from Amherst and the Cumberland North MLA, I don’t like the decision, but as a Nova Scotian I have to support saving over $5 million to build it and saving over $1 million a year in operating it.”
Skabar, who has yet to see the business plan on which the decision was based, said he has had several discussions with Amherst Mayor Robert Small, but could not attend a news conference held last week by area municipal leaders because he was not notified about it until the night before.
dcole@amherstdaily.com

Source:amherstdaily.com/i

DC GAY MARRIAGE

WASHINGTON, DC – The District of Columbia legalized gay marriage yesterday, and society has already begun to crumble.

Yesterday the City Council for the District of Columbia voted to legalize marriage among same-sex partners. The fabric of society immediately began to come apart. National Guard troops have been unable to restore order.

Riots have broken out throughout the DC area. Otherwise calm and peaceful people have taken to looting and burning everything in site, however they are not rioting because of the passage of the law. When asked why, rioters responded, “Nothing means anything anymore! There’s no reason not to!” Indeed, with one of the basic tenants of society shattered, lawlessness has descended on the District of Columbia.

Hedonistic revelry has also befallen our nation’s capital. The Washington Monument was turned into a giant maypole, where all the Congressional pages danced naked in a fertility rite. Prostitutes and interns were seen giving lapdances to the Lincoln Memorial. Senators and lobbyists erected a wicker man on the Washington Mall that was filled with Bibles and copies of “Are you There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” then burned in effigy.

Family’s driving through the district have noticed the effect as soon as they pass the border. Once they have crossed over into a land where gay marriage is legal, children immediately begin disrespecting their parents, family units break down, and chaos breaks out. If they are lucky enough to get to the other side and leave DC, normalcy resumes and they have no idea why they behaved that way. Motorists are being advised to avoid DC at all costs.

Scientists suggest an immediate evacuation of the District of Columbia. “Given the geographic confines of this hysteria, it seems the most likely solution would be to remove anyone who is still inside. Once the general population is safe from the effects of gay marriage, 12 city council members in Haz-Mat suits can be sent in to repeal the law. That should make the District safe again for civilized habitation.”

Source:weeklyworldnews.com/