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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Breaking news out of San Francisco today: For the first time ever, a federal appeals
court Wednesday declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because of the
words "under God" added by Congress in 1954. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20020626/ap_on_re_us/pledge_of_allegiance_7
Gloria Allred calls the decision "courageous"...Falwell is appalled...Barnicle
referees...See it tonight, exclusively on Hardball..
Plus, Corporate malfeasance tops the charts today as far as this morning's news cycle
was concerned...It's rare that I see the Washington Post lead with a business
story...We'll do a roundtable with Kramer and Kudlow plus Mike will kick it up a notch
or two himself...Did you catch his Martha Stewart G block last night? Crawford will
do the political fallout...Lots of background in the Briefing today on the subject..
The D block will be hot...We've got Coulter and Katrina on Coulter's new book,
"Slander." Defending the conservative stance...Which party is to blame for political
nastiness? http://msnbc.com/news/763069.asp
Tim's wife, Maureen Orth, details the victims of Paul Shanley, the defrocked priest,
in her latest Vanity Fair piece...Truly disturbing stuff...Plus, Oklahoma Governor
Frank Keating, who is heading the National Review Board for the Catholic Bishops, will
be here to tell us what can be done to reform the Church...
Must see TV tonight Folks...Dominic Bellone put this document together in Washington,
DC...Sorry for being late...We had several pre-tapes and had to make some last minute
changes to the show with this Pledge of Allegiance story...
WorldCom Says Its Books Are Off By $3.8 Billion...U.S. Criminal Probe Reported (The
Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44367-2002Jun25.html
Can anyone say Sista Souljah?? President Bush on Wednesday said the accounting
irregularities at U.S. long-distance carrier WorldCom Inc. were "outrageous," and
promised to hold accountable those who were responsible for the scandal. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=topnews&StoryID=1137217
A major accounting firm convicted of obstructing justice. A leading brokerage caught
misleading its clients. Imperious chief executives falling like flies. Huge
corporations tumbling into bankruptcy. Business pages that read like the crime
blotter. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44973-2002Jun25.html
Howard: The Politics of Greed...As the business world churns, the Democrats ponder how
to make Wall Street's moral chaos pay at the polls http://www.msnbc.com/news/771108.asp
Can the Democrats make get any political traction on this issue? They're trying...
WashPost: Democrats target corporate abuse...Democrats, who have struggled to find a
salient campaign theme amid the war on terrorism, have adopted a strategy to make the
House elections a referendum on which party will put an end to corporate greed and
corruption. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/772404.asp
Terrorism alert could pose political peril for Republicans...A last-minute terrorist
alert in November could be interpreted by as politically motivated, causing a voter
backlash in the elections.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020626-80019548.htm
The Full Battleground poll (requires Adobe Acrobat)
http://www.tarrance.com/pdf/8970_Battleground_Charts.pdf
This is the new breed of Washington Hardball politics...RNC Targets Liberal Interest
Groups...Financial Records Subpoenaed in Fight Over Campaign Laws (The Washington
Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45108-2002Jun25.html
Martha Stewart may be facing a wider probe of her sale of ImClone Systems Inc. shares,
including possible charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020626/ap_wo_en_po/us_martha_stewart_imclone_1&printer=1
The Pentagon plans to create an intelligence czar to better fight the war on
terrorism. After repositioning the military by creating the U.S. Northern Command, the
Pentagon wants Congress to authorize civilian changes by approving the new job of
undersecretary of defense for intelligence. (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20020626-76619819.htm
U.S. schools act as visa-for-sale stores, study says...The system that lets foreigners
enter the U.S. on student visas often becomes a visa-for-sale operation allowing
terrorists to enter the country, according to a new study. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020626-88146172.htm
Bombing Link Swayed Bush...Reported Arafat Payment to Terror Group Shifted Stance (The
Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45085-2002Jun25.html?referer=email
Arafat aide announces elections...A top aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
announced Wednesday that presidential and parliamentary elections would be held in
January 2003.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/677951.asp
Democrats say they see encouraging signs for the November congressional elections in a
new poll, although President Bush still dominates the political landscape and the war
on terrorism is near the top of voter concerns. (AP)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/2002/06/25/poll.htm
After 11 months of legal wrangling and court hearings, survivors of 1982 massacres in
two Palestinian camps should find out Wednesday if their war crimes case against
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon can go ahead. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020625/ap_wo_en_po/belgium_war_crimes_sharon_1
Al Qaeda Tape Likely Real, U.S. Says...Government analysts have determined it is
"highly probable" that Osama bin Laden's spokesman recorded an audiotape broadcast
Sunday that said the al Qaeda leader is still alive, a senior administration official
said Tuesay. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44994-2002Jun25.html?referer=email
Call it another sign of the times: 25,000 gas masks have been ordered to help protect
the Capitol -- tourists included -- in the event of a chemical or biological attack.
(AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=703&e=4&u=/ap/20020626/ap_on_go_co/attacks_gas_masks_2
A Saudi Arabian man who attended Marymount University in Arlington, Va., on a student
visa was accused yesterday of fraudulently taking at least 50 English-language
proficiency tests to allow other foreign student-visa holders to remain in the country
illegally. (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20020626-26247316.htm
Mideast Worries Impinge on G-8 Summit...Leaders Reject Bush's Position on Arafat (The
Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44838-2002Jun25.html?referer=email
GOP says star-struck senator out of step in Montana...Montana Sen. Max Baucus is
emerging as the new darling of Hollywood's glitterati, and his Republican challenger
says that shows he is out of touch with state voters (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020626-31481875.htm
Davis Ousts Hilliard in Ala. Runoff...Rep. Earl F. Hilliard, a five-term incumbent,
lost to well-funded lawyer Artur Davis in a Democratic primary runoff Tuesday in
Alabama. Victory in the primary ensures election because there is no Republican
candidate. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44668-2002Jun25.html
Capital Comment: Daily news notes, political rumors and important events that shape
politics and public policy in Washington and the world
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0602/capital_comment.html
Opinion/Editorial
The Washington Times: Startling science on the Potomac...The Environmental Protection
Agency apparently believes that it's not a "ridiculous possibility" that the toxic
sludge being dumped into the Potomac River by the Army Corps of Engineers is bad for
the fish living therein. http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020626-11599942.htm
Regime change, take two...Regime change is as American as apple pie. The problem is,
it's usually half-baked. Brave New World.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/772036.asp
Bauer: Victory in spite of terror
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020626-38998453.htm
Kemp: Unsigning an unratified treaty http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/kemp.html
The Wall Street Journal: All the President's Women...Our friends the Saudis hold
Americans hostage, and the State Department shrugs.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110001894
Malbray: Open door for terrorists still open
http://jewishworldreview.com/0602/mowbray.html
Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/viewdb.cfm?uc_full_date=20020626
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