Republican Leaders Escape Sanctions in the Foley Case

LARRY MARGASAK

Although a Congressional ethics panel said GOP lawmakers were negligent in monitoring former Rep. Mark Foley, they found that no rules were broken

Republican lawmakers and aides left male pages vulnerable to former Rep. Mark Foley's improper sexual advances even though the first concerns surfaced more than a decade ago, a Congressional ethics committee said Friday in its report into an election-year scandal that convulsed the House.

The committee said one witness testified he warned the head of the page board, Illinois Rep. John Shimkus, a year ago that Foley was a "ticking time bomb" who had been confronted repeatedly. Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., likely was told about inappropriate e-mails written by Foley last spring, even though he has said he doesn't recall the conversations, investigators concluded.

The panel said it found no evidence that any current lawmakers or aides violated any rules, and recommended no sanctions in the case that cost Foley his seat in Congress and contributed to his party's defeat at the polls in last month's midterm elections. But it said it discovered a pattern of conduct on the part of many individuals "to remain willfully ignorant of the potential consequences" of Foley's conduct.

Speculating on the reason for their reluctance to act, the committee said: "Some may have been concerned that raising the issue too aggressively might have risked exposing Rep. Foley's homosexuality.... There is some evidence that political considerations played a role in decisions that were made by persons in both parties."

The committee interviewed numerous witnesses, including Hastert, his top aides and other lawmakers.

The man who sparked the scandal was not among them, though. Foley received a subpoena, but his lawyer notified the committee the former lawmaker would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if compelled to testify and the committee dropped the matter. Foley, R-Fla., hurriedly resigned his seat Sept. 29 after the existence of sexually explicit computer messages sent to teenage pages came to light and quickly entered an alcoholic treatment program.

Florida authorities have opened a criminal investigation into whether Foley broke any laws related to his communications with the teens. Federal authorities are also investigating.

On balance, investigators said evidence supports the conclusion that Hastert's top aide had been told about Foley's conduct in late 2002 or early 2003. The aide, Scott Palmer, flatly denied to reporters that he was told that long ago. In testimony to the committee, he said, "I believe it didn't happen. I don't have any recollection of it."

The report said another of Hastert's aides, Ted Van Der Meid, "should have done more to learn about the e-mails and how they had been handled," in view of earlier warnings he had received about Foley's conduct. Overall, the evidence shows that "concerns began to arise about Rep. Foley's interactions with pages or other young male staff members" shortly after he took office in 1995. Two aides reported raising concerns with him several times.

One, Jeff Trandahl, was the House clerk, and when word of suggestive e-mails surfaced a year ago, he approached Shimkus, the head of the House page board. Trandahl testified that he characterized Foley as a "ticking time bomb."

If Republicans were criticized for failing to confront Foley more aggressively, Democrats also figured in the investigation.

The committee said that one aide, Matt Miller, had possession of suggestive computer messages written by Foley, and passed them along to reporters as well as a communications aide at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The investigation suggested politics was a consideration for Republicans, too.

After Foley resigned, Shimkus told another Republican member of the Page Board — Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia — why he never informed the Democratic member of the board, Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., about Foley. "Dale's a nice guy, but he's a Democrat, and I was afraid it would be blown out of proportion," Shimkus told Capito.

Speaking about Republicans, the committee said it had found a "significant number of instances where members (of Congress), officers or employees fails to exercise appropriate diligence and oversight, or should have exercised greater diligence and oversight, regarding issues arising from the interaction between former Rep. Mark Foley and current or former House pages."

The lengthy report was released on the final full day of the Congress, meaning that any changes in the rules or in the page program must wait until lawmakers return to the Capitol in January.

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Keeping Russia's Deadly Politics at Home

YURI ZARAKHOVICH

The murder of Alexender Litvinenko demonstrates, once again, how murder has become an accepted part of Russian power struggles. But the West can't — or won't — do much about it

Murder is a firmly established tradition in Russian battles over money and power. So, the suspicion in Moscow is that the recent murders of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and former KGB operative Alexander Litvinenko — as well as the alleged attempt on former prime minister and economic-reform mastermind Yegor Gaidar — result from domestic clan warfare. Russians are quite accustomed to seeing assassination used as an instrument to silence an opponent or redistribute assets, and over a dozen major energy-corporation and banking executives have been killed in the past couple of months alone. What is different about the Litvinenko and Gaidar cases is that they happened beyond Russian borders.

The Litvinenko murder investigation, in fact, may have a profound effect on the image of President Vladimir Putin in the West — much like the Chechen war of 1999 did, or the dismembering the oil company Yukos and the imprisonment of its CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, or the Beslan terror tragedy. Each time, Putin chose a course of action that benefited his regime in short term, but deeply hurt his country's interests in the long term.

Britain, horrified that a foe of the Kremlin could be murdered with a radioactive isotope that has left traces all over London, has vowed to pursue the Litvinenko investigation wherever "the police take it," regardless of diplomatic sensitivities. However, once the men from Scotland Yard landed in Moscow, Russian prosecutor-general Yuri Chaika bluntly spelled out the limits of the British inquiry: It's the Russians who ask questions — the British just sit tight and watch. And should any Russians be discovered to have been involved, he said, they would not be extradited.

Then, on Thursday, Chaika's office announced that it had launched its own criminal probe into this "death of a Russian citizen," and that a Russian investigative team would be sent to London, where they expected "understanding and cooperation" from their British counterparts. This appeared to be something of a stunt designed to counteract growing Western indignation over Moscow's lack of enthusiasm for cooperating with the British investigation.

Still, there isn't much the West can or will do about it. Relations between Moscow and the West have rarely hinged on single, or even systematic, human rights abuses. It was not expedient for the democracies to admit the existence of Stalin's Gulag when the priority was working together to defeat Hitler. It may be no more expedient to focus on human rights issues in Putin's Russia as long as Moscow must be kept as an ally in the war on terror, and persuaded to back sanctions against Iran.

"Realpolitik" dictated, for example, that the Soviets' downing of a Korean airliner in September 1983, killing 269 people, was not allowed to significantly interfere with business as usual. And "realpolitik" eventually paid off — at least for the West — as the Soviet Union disappeared a few years later without a shot being fired. Today, "realpolitik" has given way to "realeconomics" — who cares if Moscow bumps off its citizens in Chechnya or elsewhere as long as the oil and natural gas are flowing from Russia? The West reacts most loudly when its investments in Russia are endangered.

This Western attitude is sensible, and probably the only one possible. If the Russian people accept this murderous political culture, no outsiders can convince them to do otherwise. It can expire only when the Russians themselves grow sufficiently resolved to abolish it — if ever. The West may, however, have an urgent interest in ensuring that Russia's deadly political games are at least played on home turf, and don't spill over Russia's borders — lest the killers, believing they can get away with anything, anywhere, establish precedents of nuclear or any other terrorism on foreign soil.

Russians may have come to adopt barbaric ways of settling their political and business scores, and it will be up to Russians to find a better way or else be submerged in a bloodbath of their own making. All that other countries can do, in the meantime, is try to protect themselves from the flying debris.

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Talking to Iran About Iraq: A Non-Starter for Bush

TONY KARON

He's already pushing back against the Baker-Hamilton report, and no wonder. Accepting the proposal to engage Iran and Syria would mean admitting his foreign policy has failed

Explaining the report of his Iraq Study Group to Congress on Thursday, former Secretary of State James Baker stressed that its recommendations need to be taken as a whole, rather than cherry-picked. "I hope we don't treat this like a fruit salad, saying, 'I like this, but I don't like that,'" Baker told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "It's a comprehensive strategy designed to deal with the problems in Iraq, but also to deal with other problems in the region. These are interdependent recommendations."

President Bush plainly had other ideas, telling a press conference he was sure Baker and Lee Hamilton didn't expect him to embrace all of their recommendations. Bush made clear, for example, that he has no intention of following the Baker-Hamilton proposal for a rapid move to engage Iran and Syria in a process aimed at stabilizing Iraq. Instead, he simply reiterated his Administration's preconditions for talking to those two nations: Iran must first suspend its uranium enrichment activities, Bush said, while Syria would have to stop interfering in Lebanon.

It's not hard to see why Bush would balk at many of the key prescriptions of the report, since they would require him to abandon some key foreign policy positions he has held throughout his presidency. And without any changes in that policy, there is little likelihood that the regional powers whose help is being sought will feel much like cooperating.

U.S. needs Iranian and Syrian cooperation right now a lot more than either of those countries need to ingratiate themselves with Washington. So the U.S. is not in any position to set preconditions for seeking their help in Iraq. They may even be inclined to set conditions of their own for such cooperation. On the question of talking to Tehran and Damascus, moreover, President Bush certainly has the backing of a number of legislators from both sides of the aisle, who have questioned whether Iran and Syria would have any inclination to help out the U.S. in Iraq. Baker would agree that they're not about to help out just to be nice, but his commission — which interviewed senior figures in both regimes — believes their cooperation can be won on the basis of enlightened self-interest. Still, they would need an incentive to cooperate, which would necessitate the sort of diplomatic quid pro quo on other issues that would stick in the craw of President Bush.

Israeli leaders, meanwhile, along with their most vocal supporters on Capitol Hill, are alarmed both at the prospect of a U.S. diplomatic dance with Iran and Syria, and by the ISG's assertion that prospects for success in Iraq and elsewhere in the region depend on Washington's ability to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, commenting on the report Thursday, told reporters: "The attempt to create linkage between the Iraqi issue and the Mideast issue — we have a different view."

The Bush Administration throughout its tenure has carefully avoided putting any pressure on Israel to resume negotiations with the Palestinians in search of a political settlement to the conflict, instead simply endorsing the Israeli claim that "there is no Palestinian partner" and focusing largely on the question of Israeli security. And it has strongly backed and even encouraged Israel's refusal to talk to Syria about the return of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.

The Baker-Hamilton study sees unconditional U.S. support for Israel as poisoning the prospects for U.S. progress in the region, because it generates such deep-seated ill will toward America in Arab public opinion that it becomes increasingly difficult for even friendly Arab regimes to lend support to Washington. The 9/11 Commission made a similar point, noting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key source of hostility toward the U.S. that is exploited by extremist elements. Still, not much has changed in the Administration's policy positions. And despite the urgent pleas of such key U.S. allies as Jordan's King Abdullah — and even Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair — for a speedy resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there would likely be a strong backlash on Capitol Hill against any move to tie progress in Iraq to progress on the Israeli-Palestinian front.

So the regional strategy advocated by the Baker-Hamilton group looks, if not quite dead on arrival, at least destined for the back burner. But that regional strategy is a critical component of the package, precisely because the Iraq Study Group has plainly shown that the Bush Administration's plan to unilaterally transform the Middle East through the application of force has failed. Acting alone, the U.S. appears unable to create a stable post-Saddam Iraq, and regional cooperation with regimes distasteful to the U.S. but nonetheless able to influence events is essential.

These regional actors, of course, are the same ones the Bush Administration hoped would be swept away by the democratic tsunami Iraq was supposed to unleash. To embrace the Baker-Hamilton strategy, President Bush would have to abandon some key foreign policy positions to which he has been deeply wedded throughout his presidency. Critics, including much of the Republican "realist" old-guard personified by Baker, would argue that this is simply a matter of acknowledging reality. But the President will find plenty of support from conservative voices, along with those across the spectrum who most fervently back Israel and see Iran as a primary threat, for ignoring the advice of the "realists." Despite the flurry of discussion over a new policy on Iraq, chances are that once the dust settles, that policy may not look very different the current one.

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Today in history - Dec. 9

Today is Saturday, Dec. 9, the 343rd day of 2006. There are 22 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 9, 1854, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," was published in England.

On this date:

In 1608, English poet John Milton was born in London.

In 1892, "Widowers' Houses," George Bernard Shaw's first play, opened at the Royalty Theater in London.

In 1940, British troops opened their first major offensive in North Africa during World War II.

In 1941, China declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy.

In 1942, the Aram Khachaturian ballet "Gayane," featuring the surging "Saber Dance," was first performed by the Kirov Ballet.

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Today in history - Dec. 9

The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, Dec. 9, the 343rd day of 2006. There are 22 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 9, 1854, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," was published in England.

On this date:

In 1608, English poet John Milton was born in London.

In 1892, "Widowers' Houses," George Bernard Shaw's first play, opened at the Royalty Theater in London.

In 1940, British troops opened their first major offensive in North Africa during World War II.

In 1941, China declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy.

In 1942, the Aram Khachaturian ballet "Gayane," featuring the surging "Saber Dance," was first performed by the Kirov Ballet.

In 1958, the anti-communist John Birch Society was formed in Indianapolis.

In 1965, Nikolai V. Podgorny replaced Anastas I. Mikoyan as president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.

In 1975, President Ford signed a $2.3 billion seasonal loan-authorization that officials of New York City and State said would prevent a city default.

In 1990, Solidarity founder Lech Walesa won Poland's presidential runoff by a landslide.

In 1992, Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation. (The couple's divorce became final Aug. 28, 1996.)

Ten years ago: More than four months after the Olympic bombing, the FBI posted a $500,000 reward. The United Nations gave Iraq the go-ahead to resume oil exports for the first time since 1990 to buy food and medicine. Archaeologist and anthropologist Mary Leakey died in Kenya at age 83.

Five years ago: The United States disclosed the existence of a videotape in which Osama bin Laden said he was pleasantly surprised by the extent of damage from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Authorities confirmed the outbreak of the deadly disease Ebola in Gabon.

One year ago: President Bush, addressing a political fundraiser in Minnesota, said the United States would wage an unrelenting battle in Iraq to protect Americans at home. A congressional report said the federal government's medical response to Hurricane Katrina was bungled by a lack of supplies and poor communication.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Kirk Douglas is 90. Actress Dina Merrill is 81. Actor Dick Van Patten is 78. Actor-writer Buck Henry is 76. Actress Dame Judi Dench is 72. Actor Beau Bridges is 65. Jazz singer-musician Dan Hicks is 65. Football Hall-of-Famer Dick Butkus is 64. Actor Michael Nouri is 61. Former Sen. Thomas Daschle (news, bio, voting record), D-S.D., is 59. Singer Joan Armatrading is 56. Actor Michael Dorn is 54. Actor John Malkovich is 53. Country singer Sylvia is 50. Singer/game show host Donny Osmond is 49. Rock musician Nick Seymour (Crowded House) is 48. Actor Joe Lando is 45. Actress Felicity Huffman is 44. Country musician Jerry Hughes (Yankee Grey) is 41. Rock singer-musician Thomas Flowers (Oleander) is 39. Rock musician Brian Bell (Weezer) is 38. Rock singer-musician Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers) is 37. Actress Allison Smith is 37. Country singer David Kersh is 36. Rock musician Tre Cool (Green Day) is 34. Rapper Canibus is 32. Rock musician Eric Zamora (Save Ferris) is 30. Actor Jesse Metcalfe is 28.

Thought for Today: "In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule." — Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844-1900).

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Man charged with shopping mall bomb plot

A man was arrested Friday by federal agents on charges of planning to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall.

Derrick Shareef, 22, of Rockford, was arrested when he met with an undercover agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun.

Federal officials said he planned to set off four hand grenades in garbage cans at the CherryVale shopping mall in Rockford, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago.

He was charged with one count of attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Federal officials said that in September, Shareef became acquainted with a witness who was cooperating with the FBI and confided to him that he wanted to commit acts of "violent jihad," as well as other crimes.

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Snipes in Fla. court in tax fraud case

MARK LONG,

Associated Press Writer

Wesley Snipes surrendered to authorities to face federal tax fraud charges and was released on $1 million bond Friday, two months after he was indicted in central Florida.

The actor, known for films such as the "Blade" trilogy, didn't speak at a court appearance in Ocala. He went there after arriving in Orlando on a private jet Friday from the African nation of Namibia, where he has been filming "Gallow Walker," his publicist said.

Snipes, 44, was charged in October with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997 on income taxes already paid. He was also charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004.

He will be allowed to return to Namibia to finish his film, but must return to his home in Marina del Rey, Calif., on or before Jan. 10, U.S. Magistrate Gary Jones ruled.

After that, he will be required to surrender his U.S. passport and will be restricted to traveling in the continental United States. A Feb. 22 status conference was scheduled, which Snipes is not required to attend.

According to the indictment, Snipes had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. The firm American Rights Litigators would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients, according to the indictment.

Snipes has said he is a scapegoat and was unfairly targeted by prosecutors. If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison.

"Gallow Walker," a cowboy movie, will be completed next week and will be released sometime next fall, said Ian Thompson, spokesman for Sheer Films, which is producing the film. Snipes' arrest wasn't expected to delay production, Thompson said.

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Today in history - Dec. 8

Today is Friday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2006. There are 23 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 8, 1980, rock star John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by an apparently deranged fan.

On this date:

In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment of her own conception.

In 1863, President Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1914, "Watch Your Step," the first musical revue to feature a score composed entirely by Irving Berlin, opened in New York.

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Today in history - Dec. 8

The Associated Press

Today is Friday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2006. There are 23 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 8, 1980, rock star John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by an apparently deranged fan.

On this date:

In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment of her own conception.

In 1863, President Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1914, "Watch Your Step," the first musical revue to feature a score composed entirely by Irving Berlin, opened in New York.

In 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1949, the Chinese Nationalist government moved from the Chinese mainland to Formosa as the Communists pressed their attacks.

In 1986, House Democrats selected majority leader Jim Wright to be the chamber's 48th speaker, succeeding Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill.

In 1987, President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

In 1991, AIDS patient Kimberly Bergalis, who had contracted the disease from her dentist, died in Fort Pierce, Fla., at age 23.

In 1993, President Clinton signed into U.S. law the North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect at the start of 1994.

Ten years ago: The Serbian Supreme Court ruled against opposition parties who said Slobodan Milosevic had robbed them of an election victory in Belgrade.

Five years ago: The U.S. Capitol was reopened to tourists after a two-month security shutdown. Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch was awarded the Heisman Trophy.

One year ago: A Southwest Airlines jet slid off the runway and onto a busy street during a snowstorm in Chicago, killing a boy in a car. In Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a packed bus bound for a southern Shiite city, killing 32 people.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Maximilian Schell is 76. Actor David Carradine is 70. Actor James MacArthur is 69. Flutist James Galway is 67. Singer Jerry Butler is 67. Pop musician Bobby Elliott (The Hollies) is 64. Actor John Rubinstein is 60. Rock singer-musician Gregg Allman is 59. Actress Kim Basinger is 53. Rock musician Warren Cuccurullo is 50. Rock musician Phil Collen (Def Leppard) is 49. Country singer Marty Raybon is 47. Rock musician Marty Friedman is 44. Actor Wendell Pierce is 43. Actress Teri Hatcher is 42. Rapper Bushwick Bill (The Geto Boys) is 40. Singer Sinead O'Connor is 40. Actor Matthew Laborteaux is 40. Rock musician Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel) is 34. Actor Dominic Monaghan is 30. Actor Ian Somerhalder is 28.

Thought for Today: "The unknown is what it is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybody scurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, all that. Unknown is what it is. Accept that it's unknown and it's plain sailing." — John Lennon (1940-1980).

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Venezuela's Opposition Concedes: Chavez Is Here to Stay

JENS ERIK GOULD

How big was the leftist leader's reelection victory? So big his opponents didn't even cry foul.

It's official: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez will be in office longer than his arch-nemesis, President George W. Bush. Following his reelection to a new six-year term by a wide margin on Sunday, Chavez promised a "new era in the national Bolivarian project," his program to use Venezuela's oil wealth to fund social programs as well as to bolster a regional united front against U.S. influence. Now, the scale of his victory — the National Electoral Council gave him a 23% lead over contender Manuel Rosales with over three-quarters of votes counted — will be claimed as a mandate to deepen his "socialist revolution," with the help of a legislature wholly under the control of his allies after the opposition boycotted last year's parliamentary elections.

Still, this is hardly the first time Chavez has boisterously threatened further radicalization of his revolution, and Venezuela is still far from the Latin American Marxist nightmare that Washington fears it will become. Chavez has certainly cracked down on foreign oil companies and expropriated private property, but he still presides over a far-from socialist society that loves its Scotch whisky and shopping malls.

But revolutions are first and foremost about power, and the most dramatic reform that Chavez may seek — and the most worrisome to his foes — is a constitutional change to remove term limits on the presidency and allow him to run again in 2012. He also says he could create a single party out of the many that support him. The president denied last week that such reforms pointed to increasing authoritarianism, and assured that any constitutional reform would have to pass through a national referendum. "This isn't a dictatorship," he said. "It's democracy."

Chavez's staying power, however, could depend on the opposition's ability to rebound from a demoralizing loss and maintain the unity it established on the campaign trail to end years of self-defeating bickering among its various parties. Rosales' brief concession speech suggested the opposition may have resolved to accept that Chavez won't be ousted any time soon, and to instead take the long view and strengthen their movement through grassroots organizational work — a counterintuitive option for a movement that has its origins in two parties of the political and economic elite that had maintained a lock on power for 40 years.

Rosales surprised many on Sunday by refraining from crying electoral fraud — the opposition had accused the government of rigging the vote in the two previous elections. Supermarket shelves in the capital had been emptied last week in anticipation of chaos sparked by a contested election result. Instead, the streets of Caracas were quiet on Monday. The opposition may finally be abandoning the claim that Chavez can only stay in power by cheating. "The truth is that even with a tighter margin we recognize that today they defeated us," Rosales said Sunday night. "But we'll keep fighting."

It was Chavez's bedrock support among the poor, shored up by the government programs that ensure cheap food and free health care, that once again ensured his victory. Unless the opposition is able to find a message and policies that resonate with the impoverished majority, it will remain in the political wilderness.

For now, the nearly 40% of Venezuelans who voted for Rosales on Sunday still have no representation in the legislature. "I want a change, above all for my son," said Fabiola Pereira, a hairstylist, after voting for Rosales in the upper-middle class Caracas neighborhood of Altamira. "If Chavez takes more power we don't know what else he'll invent. It scares me. Anything can happen in six years."

One thing that may be predictable is that Chavez will continue to rail against Washington. He proclaimed his victory a defeat for the U.S. and dedicated it to the Cuban people and their ailing leader, Fidel Castro. After years of listening to their leader pounding away at Bush, Chavez supporters appear to believe that Washington is their main enemy. "This is a lesson we're going to give to Bush, because he's interested in our oil reserves," said Luis Jose Moreno, a voter in the poor Caracas neighborhood of Petare, about his conviction that Chavez would win. "Get out of here, Bush."

But Bush will, indeed, leave office before Chavez. And the Venezuelan president likes to remind audiences that Bill Clinton was a man he respected. So, if the White House reverts to the Democrats in 2008, Chavez may have more trouble rousing his base with anti-U.S. rhetoric.

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Today in History - Dec. 6

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2006. There are 25 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 6, 1889, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans.

On this date:

In 1790, Congress moved from New York to Philadelphia.

In 1884, Army engineers completed construction of the Washington Monument.

In 1921, British and Irish representatives signed a treaty in London providing for creation of an Irish Free State a year later on the same date.

In 1923, a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as President Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.

In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Truman.

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Today in History - Dec. 6

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2006. There are 25 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 6, 1889, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans.

On this date:

In 1790, Congress moved from New York to Philadelphia.

In 1884, Army engineers completed construction of the Washington Monument.

In 1921, British and Irish representatives signed a treaty in London providing for creation of an Irish Free State a year later on the same date.

In 1923, a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as President Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.

In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Truman.

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Tags: TREATY | signed | session | representatives | providing | presidential | president | joint | died | CREATION | broadcast | ADDRESS | Washington | Philadelphia | New York | New Orleans | London | livermore | Jefferson | IRISH | Florida | Dec | DAVIS | COOLIDGE | Congress | Confederate | British | America

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Today in History - Dec. 6

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2006. There are 25 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 6, 1889, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans.

On this date:

In 1790, Congress moved from New York to Philadelphia.

In 1884, Army engineers completed construction of the Washington Monument.

In 1921, British and Irish representatives signed a treaty in London providing for creation of an Irish Free State a year later on the same date.

In 1923, a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as President Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.

In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Truman.

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Tags: TREATY | signed | session | representatives | providing | presidential | president | joint | died | CREATION | broadcast | ADDRESS | Washington | Philadelphia | New York | New Orleans | London | livermore | Jefferson | IRISH | Florida | Dec | DAVIS | COOLIDGE | Congress | Confederate | British | America

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Prostitution Arrest In Carmel

A Carmel woman is under arrest after she agreed to perform sexual acts for money with an undercover officer. Carmel Police got numerous complaints about the woman and after a tip from State Police investigators went undercover.

"It's a shock, but actually it could happen anywhere," Carmel resident Martha Inniger said.

A wreath, Christmas decorations and even a welcome sign greet guests at a home in Carmel. But what police say was going on behind the door has neighbors outraged.

"I'm shocked, you know, there's little kids that live in this neighborhood, there's teenagers that live in this neighborhood," Carmel resident Diane Batza said.

According to police, 35 year-old Shelly Riddle was operating a house of ill repute. Investigators uncovered the illegal activity after getting several tips and complaints.

"It's a big surprise to me because this neighborhood. We've lived here for over 2 years, and it just been a wonderful neighborhood," Inniger said.

According to police, they found the ad in the back of a NUVO newspaper. They called the number and made an appointment.

Police say Riddle gave the undercover officer directions to her home and told him to be there at noon.

Investigators say once inside the home, Riddle agreed to perform sex acts for money.

24-Hour News 8 knocked Riddle's door. An unknown man answered, but refused to comment about what happened.

"It doesn't matter how rich you are or how poor you are, I mean people make choices and I'm not responsible for her choice, but I'm sad about it," Inniger said.

Riddle has been arrested. She's at the Hamilton County Jail being held on a $10,000 bond.

Riddle has a pervious prostitution conviction in Marion County from 2001.

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Thieves targeting holiday gifts in cars

In a Greenwood Police evidence locker Chief Joe Pitcher says there is at least 2 thousand dollars in stolen goods. The stash includes everything from toys to clothes to electronics.

All that stuff was taken in a three hour car break-in spree on one night around the Greenwood Park Mall with the suspect driving the lot looking in cars and taking what she could. We toured the lot and saw a toy box in one car, more bags with other Christmas presents in another, a backpack in a third and, in one car, we saw someone's purse left on the back seat.

Assistant Chief Rick McQueery says "The target of opportunity was there, no one was around and she pried the windows and the doors then get in and take her stuff then they leave."

Eleven cars were hit, police say. The suspect eventually broke the screw driver used for the break ins and had to buy a new one to keep the spree going.

The break for police came while they were checking broken glass at the mall, across the street a motorist spotted the suspect's car and called 911.

Greenwood Police tracked the car to a house in Hendricks County where they found Kris Stull, just out of prison for similar crimes. Assistant Chief McQueery describes what he saw in her house. "Merchandise was laid out like an inventory process was going on on the kitchen table and the suspect's couch in the living room"

Police will call in break in victims to pick up their things in time for Christmas. Last week at a Westfield Shopping plaza south of Wal-Mart an elderly woman coming out of a car shop had her purse snatched by men in a passing car. She was dragged a short distance.

Two weeks ago our investigators showed the toll taken at Marion County Malls, too, last year.

"I don't lock my car," said one shopper at a music store across from the Greenwood Park Mall, "like ever."

But police say prevention starts with protection. His band, DESERT MUSIC, just bought an expensive new amplifier.

"I guess it worries me a little," says guitarist Eric Ballou. "I just don't think about."

But police want us to think about it by putting valuable including gifts in the trunk or out of sight.

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Missing men cases confound authorities

Imagine saying goodbye to a husband and seeing him off from home only for him to vanish and never return. It's the real-life nightmare three Central Indiana families say they're enduring this holiday season.

In a span of 11 months, 29 year-old Brad Hensley of Plainfield, 42 year-old Walter Smith of Franklin and 54 year-old Tony Jarrett of Indianapolis have gone missing.

"We just really hope that we just get that small bit of information that we need to get the ball rolling," to find them, said Plainfield Police Department Sergeant Jill Lees.

The most recent disappearance was last week, when Jarrett told his wife he was going fishing along the banks of the White River, in Indianapolis. He never came home. His wife searched along the river this past weekend.

"If he got hurt or something, and froze to death out here, you know, I'd want somebody to be looking for me," said Johnetta Jarrett.

Smith, of Franklin, was last seen leaving his home in September. Police eventually found his car, abandoned.

"It's not been good," said Smith's daughter, Natasha. "It's hurt me so bad because I love my dad so much."

Hensley's disappearance is perhaps the most puzzling. Like Smith, Hensley left his home for work in early January. Despite searches by foot, and by air, police say there is still no trace of Hensley or his Jeep. His cell phone and credit cards haven't been used in almost a year.

"It's so frustrating," said Hensley's wife, Kristin. "I feel like someone knows something."

Though foul play hasn't been ruled out in any of the disappearances, there is, according to police, no hard evidence to rule it in.

If you have any information on these missing men, you are asked to call police

Indianapolis Police: (317) 327-3264

Franklin Police: (317) 736-5111

Plainfield Police: (317) 839-2566

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Missing men cases confound authorities

Imagine saying goodbye to a husband and seeing him off from home only for him to vanish and never return. It's the real-life nightmare three Central Indiana families say they're enduring this holiday season.

In a span of 11 months, 29 year-old Brad Hensley of Plainfield, 42 year-old Walter Smith of Franklin and 54 year-old Tony Jarrett of Indianapolis have gone missing.

"We just really hope that we just get that small bit of information that we need to get the ball rolling," to find them, said Plainfield Police Department Sergeant Jill Lees.

The most recent disappearance was last week, when Jarrett told his wife he was going fishing along the banks of the White River, in Indianapolis. He never came home. His wife searched along the river this past weekend.

"If he got hurt or something, and froze to death out here, you know, I'd want somebody to be looking for me," said Johnetta Jarrett.

Smith, of Franklin, was last seen leaving his home in September. Police eventually found his car, abandoned.

"It's not been good," said Smith's daughter, Natasha. "It's hurt me so bad because I love my dad so much."

Hensley's disappearance is perhaps the most puzzling. Like Smith, Hensley left his home for work in early January. Despite searches by foot, and by air, police say there is still no trace of Hensley or his Jeep. His cell phone and credit cards haven't been used in almost a year.

"It's so frustrating," said Hensley's wife, Kristin. "I feel like someone knows something."

Though foul play hasn't been ruled out in any of the disappearances, there is, according to police, no hard evidence to rule it in.

If you have any information on these missing men, you are asked to call police

Indianapolis Police: (317) 327-3264

Franklin Police: (317) 736-5111

Plainfield Police: (317) 839-2566

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What's Toxic In Toyland

MARGOT ROOSEVELT

San Francisco's ban on toys like these has sparked a sharp debate about the dangers of plastic contaminants.

They line the nursery section children's toy stores like brightly colored candies: rubber duckies for bathtime, chewable rings for teething, soft-covered books for pawing and mouthing. Parents shopping for their babies can be forgiven if they assume that everything on those shelves is 100% child safe. So why did the city of San Francisco issue a ban last week on the sale of certain plastic toys aimed at children under 3? And why are activists warning holiday shoppers in the most alarming terms against buying them? "Sucking on some of these teethers and toys," says Rachel Gibson of Environment California, a nonprofit, "is like sucking on a toxic lollipop."

At issue are contaminants in plastics used to make the toys. Environmentalists have long argued that some of these chemicals can leach out and harm children, pointing to animal studies that link the substances to birth defects, cancer and developmental abnormalities. Those warnings are hotly disputed by the chemical industry and toy manufacturers, which cite stacks of scientific studies that have found the plastics to be safe at federally approved levels. But the issue has gained traction on the strength of new evidence from independent and university-sponsored studies. The European Union has banned some chemicals in toys since 1999, and now half a dozen state legislatures are considering similar laws.

The controversy centers on a family of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced "thalates"), which are used to soften vinyl, and on bisphenol A (BPA), a substance used to make clear and shatterproof plastic. Most are known to be so-called endocrine disrupters, capable of interfering with the hormones that regulate masculinity and femininity. Several hundred animal studies have linked phthalates to prostate and breast cancers, abnormal genitals, early puberty onset and obesity. More recently, they've been shown to affect humans as well. In a paper published last year in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several universities found that boys born to mothers with higher phthalate levels are far more likely to show altered genital development, linked to incomplete testicular descent. Harvard School of Public Health studies report that men with higher phthalate levels have lower sperm counts and damaged sperm DNA.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents manufacturers such as ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical, says the crackdowns on toys are not justified by the science. "The E.U. aims to ban products that show adverse effect at very high doses in rats," says the ACC's Marian Stanley. "Many essential products are made from starting materials that can be quite toxic at high doses. This does not mean that the final consumer products are toxic." As for recent phthalate studies on humans, she says, they are either preliminary or "overhyped." Meanwhile, toy companies are relying on a 2001 review by a Consumer Product Safety Commission panel that found "no demonstrated health risk" in toys made with DINP--one of the phthalates used in vinyl. Critics fault the panel for failing to examine the effect of DINP when combined with other phthalates.
The focus on BPA is new. Its use is widespread--it's found in dental sealants and the epoxy linings on food cans as well as in baby bottles. Studies in animals over the past five years have found that the substance, which mimics the human hormone estrogen, alters brain structure and chemistry as well as the immune system and reproductive organs. Some of these effects show up at extremely low doses, in some cases 2,000 times below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety guideline, according to Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri endocrinologist. Chemical companies say the findings are not applicable to humans, but the federal National Toxicology Program has launched a reassessment of the safety standard. "The literature around BPA is very controversial," warns EPA scientist Earl Gray. "Next year's review should clarify things."

The problem for retailers--and parents--is that the U.S. does not require manufacturers to disclose ingredients in most consumer products. How can you tell which contain the contaminants when chemical companies guard the information as proprietary? "Stores have products stacked to the ceiling for the holidays," says Daniel Grossman, CEO of San Francisco's Wild Planet Toys. "They have no idea what has phthalates and what doesn't."

They may soon find out. The San Francisco Chronicle recently had 16 toys tested in a private lab. One rubber ducky contained the phthalate DEHP at 13 times San Francisco's allowed level. A teether contained another phthalate at five times the limit. Meanwhile, a rattle, two waterproof books and a doll contained BPA, which is prohibited by the city at any level. Although the products comply with U.S. law, some toymakers, including Goldberger Doll, are cutting out phthalates. Richard Woo, owner of a local store called Citikids, estimates that he might have to pull a third of his items off the shelves. Next month manufacturers will go to court to block the new law. Whatever the ruling, parents will be left wondering how safe their children's toys really are.

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Today in History - Dec. 6

The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2006. There are 25 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 6, 1889, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans.

On this date:

In 1790, Congress moved from New York to Philadelphia.

In 1884, Army engineers completed construction of the Washington Monument.

In 1921, British and Irish representatives signed a treaty in London providing for creation of an Irish Free State a year later on the same date.

In 1923, a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as President Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.

In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Truman.

In 1957, America's first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed as Vanguard TV-3 blew up on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1969, a free concert by The Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway in Livermore, Calif., was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a Hell's Angel.

In 1973, House minority leader Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew.

In 1982, 11 soldiers and six civilians were killed when an Irish National Liberation Army bomb exploded in a pub in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland.

In 1989, 14 women were shot to death at the University of Montreal's school of engineering by a man who then took his own life.

Ten years ago: Stock markets around the world plunged after comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan were taken to mean that U.S. stock prices were too high. Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle died in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., at age 70.

Five years ago: The U.S. House of Representatives, by a one-vote margin, gave President Bush more power to negotiate global trade deals. Yasser Arafat's intensified crackdown on Islamic militants met angry resistance as 1,500 Hamas supporters battled Palestinian riot police outside the home of the group's leader. President Bush dedicated the national Christmas tree to those who had died on Sept. 11 and to GIs who had died in the line of duty.

One year ago: Two suicide bombers struck Baghdad's police academy, killing at least 43 people. An Iranian military transport plane crashed in a Tehran suburb as it was trying to make an emergency landing, killing at least 115 people, including 21 on the ground. Sami Al-Arian, a former Florida professor accused of helping lead a terrorist group that carried out suicide bombings against Israel, was acquitted on nearly half the charges against him by a federal court jury in Tampa, Fla.; the jury deadlocked on the other charges. Philadelphia won the first NHL scoreless game that was decided by a shootout, beating Calgary 1-0.

Today's Birthdays: Jazz musician Dave Brubeck is 86. Country singer Helen Cornelius is 65. Actor James Naughton is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Frankie Beverly (Maze) is 60. Former Sen. Don Nickles (news, bio, voting record), R-Okla., is 58. Actress JoBeth Williams is 58. Actor Tom Hulce is 53. Actor Kin Shriner is 53. Talk show host Wil Shriner is 53. Actor Miles Chapin is 52. Rock musician Rick Buckler (The Jam) is 51. Comedian Steven Wright is 51. Country singer Bill Lloyd is 51. Singer Tish Hinojosa is 51. Rock musician Peter Buck (R.E.M.) is 50. Rock musician David Lovering (Pixies) is 45. Actress Janine Turner is 44. Rock musician Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl) is 44. Rock musician Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg (Ace of Base) is 36. Actress Colleen Haskell is 30. Actress Lindsay Price is 30.

Thought for Today: "Each and every one of us has one obligation, during the bewildered days of our pilgrimage here: the saving of his own soul, and secondarily and incidentally thereby affecting for good such other souls as come under our influence." — Kathleen Norris, American author (1880-1960).

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3 members of missing family found alive

Three members of a San Francisco family missing for more than a week were found alive Monday along a snowy, treacherous roadway in southwestern Oregon, police said. A search continued for the father.

Investigators said a helicopter spotted 30-year-old Kati Kim waving an umbrella about 1:45 p.m. PST. Her daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, were with her. They were airlifted to Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass.

"Mom arrived in an ambulance smiling and waving," Linda Rankin, vice president for patient care at the hospital, told The Associated Press. She said all three were in good condition, and would spend the night at the hospital.

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Teen Had Bulletproof Vest, Pellet Gun At Airport

A 19-year-old high school student was arrested after he tried to pass through an Indianapolis International Airport security checkpoint while wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a pellet gun Sunday night, police said.Carlos Delay, an Arsenal Technical High School senior, was escorting his wheelchair-bound mother to her flight when the items in his possession set off a metal detector, authorities said. Security personnel searched him and found the vest and the pellet gun, which authorities said looked like a 9 mm handgun.

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Today in history - Dec. 5

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 5, the 339th day of 2006. There are 26 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 5, 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

On this date:

In 1776, the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

In 1782, the first native U.S. president, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook, N.Y.

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Girlfriend of man shot by police appears on Larry King Live

NEW YORK Nicole Paultre says she's not angry.

Instead, the fiance of Sean Bell -- an unarmed man who died when New York City police sprayed 50 bullets at his car on his wedding day -- says she's trying to be strong for her two young daughters. Bell was shot outside s strip club.

Paultre appeared on C-N-N's "Larry King Live," wearing what would have been her wedding ring and a badge with a photo of the family.

She says she thinks officers used excessive force when they shot Bell, but added she doesn't blame the entire police department for the actions of a few.

Reverend Al Sharpton also appeared with Paultre. Sharpton said the Bell and Paultre families "want to see fairness" and an end to police abuse.

Paultre and Bell were high school sweethearts who had a three-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old baby girl together.

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