The Washington Independent - U.S. news and politics - washingtonindependent.com: Stories by Laura McGann

Count Me In

Laura McGann — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:03:49 GMT

There's a lot of talk these days in reporter circles about the...future of journalism (emphasis added to imply doom). These discussions consistently circle around two issues: money and the Internet. The talks usually start with the money problem; we whisper about the most recent round of publicized newsroom cuts. We worry about people we know on those staffs and then we gulp and wonder what that means for our own future. The conversation always shifts, though, to note that those pink slips didn't touch that publication's Web operation. That brings us to our second topic: the Internet. Is it the answer to our industry's financial problems? And even if it is, are traditional reporters, who are used to writing in isolation from their readership, ready to embrace that truth?

I'm excited to join The Washington Independent because we are facing these two core challenges head on. We're following a different economic model, funding our endeavor by philanthropy. We've embraced the growing importance of the Web and we will creatively draw on its strengths, particularly its ability to create community.

We're also not starting from scratch. As The Washington Independent's new managing editor, I'm excited that an important part of my job will be to collaborate with our existing network of state sites. Over the last two years, the Center for Independent Media has built sites in four states that service readers in those communities. Here in Washington, that coverage will influence our own. Once we are up and running, our reporting will play a part on the state sites. As the center's president, David Bennahum, explains below, this is a unique model. We're in our nation's capital, but we're deeply interested in what happens at the state level.

I arrived here from the one-of-a-kind investigative reporting blog, TPMmuckraker, famous for breaking myriad scandals (from the firings of nine U.S. Attorneys to the State Department Inspector General's perjury). I played a small part in covering the muck-ladden Alaska delegation and the suspicious prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL). Before I picked up my rake, I wrote for the Dow Jones newswires, covering corporate bankruptcy. I once received a fellowship from the Carnegie Corp. and the Knight Foundation to write a story that appealed to a young audience about privacy implications in the "post 9/11 world." I produced a story run by the AP about the Department of Education's data mining program which shared the personal information of student loan applicants with the FBI for five years after the 2001 attacks.

Here on our staff blog, which we've coined The Editors' Desk, I'll flag interesting news coming out of our states. Our state sites have earned reputations for breaking news and for providing quality analysis, particularly on regional issues. Look only to Minnesota Monitor's coverage of its state's US Attorney Rachel Paulose for an example. Minnesota Monitor staff followed the ins and outs of the young attorney's placement in the state and the controversy that ensued. Eric Black headed the coverage, including discovering how the federal Office of Special Counsel launched an official investigation into Paulose's conduct this summer for allegedly retaliating against a whistle blower and for making racist comments about another employee. Black's reporting focussed on a local topic that has huge implications for the nation. It turns out that the Paulose story fits into the broader trend of politicization at the Department of Justice, a story important to every state.

Our reporters will keep digging up these stories and I'm excited to see how our team in Washington will contribute.

Who Will I Vote for Now?

Laura McGann — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:43:48 GMT

Our fellow network news site Iowa Independent just got word that Rep. Tom Tancredo’s (R-CO) campaign staff will make a “major announcement” at 2 p.m. Central. Is the presidential hopeful getting ready to bow out?

With just 12 days left until the Iowa Caucus, Tancredo is barely registering among most voters in public opinion polls. Several media outlets are reporting that rumors are swirling about that Tancredo will drop out of the race.

However, operatives from other campaigns say the only people speculating that he will withdraw are reporters themselves.

Stay tuned.

Update: Wendy Norris of Colorado Confidential has a run down on the basis for the departure speculation.

All I Want for Christmas...

Laura McGann — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:53:47 GMT

Is for machines to stop calling me.

Our network site in Michigan is getting into the spirit of giving this holiday season by volunteering to look into the details of pesky robocalls plaguing their readers, particularly the anonymous variety that seem to strike late at night or early in the morning. Thank you, Michigan Messenger.

At Least He Stood for Something

Laura McGann — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:29:54 GMT

Tancredo's out.

Clinton's Picking Up Endorsement Steam in Iowa

Laura McGann — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:16:15 GMT

John Deeth of the Iowa Independent has a complete breakdown of legislative endorsements in the Democratic race…and it’s Clinton back in the lead:

Huckabee Links Bhutto Assassination, Illegal Immigration

Laura McGann — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:39:01 GMT

In a stump speech today in Iowa, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee tried to bring the world issues of the day home to the people of Pella by linking the assassination of Benazir Bhutto to illegal immigration. From CBS news:

The fact is the immigration issue is not so much about people coming to pick lettuce or make beds. It’s about people that can come with a shoulder fired missile and can do serious damage and harm to us, and that’s what we need to be worried about. And the unsecure borders that we have pose a real national security threat.

Duncan Hunter would be proud.

Obama, Huckabee Top Final Power Rankings

Laura McGann — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:48:04 GMT

Obama and Huckabee grabbed top slots in Iowa Independent’s final set of Power Rankings before the caucuses Thursday.

The rankings aim to answer the question "if the caucuses were held tonight, what would be the results?" So with six days to go, it’s still a nail biter.

The site doesn’t tabulate the results via a single survey then it draws on its staff’s insight, which has developed over the course of its intimate coverage of the caucuses.

Iowa Independent’s Chase Martyn explains:

The rankings are derived from impressions we received from activists, campaign officials, seasoned political observers, and rank-and-file caucus-goers, but at the most basic level, they are based on the gut feelings and instincts of our writers, who have watched the race unfold here from the beginning.

More details on the Democrats are up here and the Republicans here.

Huckabee Crowd Dwarfs Romney's in Iowa

Laura McGann — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:03:33 GMT

Dien Judge over at Iowa Independent has some video that captures Huckabee’s surge in popularity in Iowa:

The former Arkansas governor spoke to hundreds of potential Republican caucus-goers in Ottumwa Friday night, nearly filling the large auditorium in this southeast Iowa community’s Bridge View Center.
The crowd was estimated at more than 500 who laughed and cheered throughout the evening’s presentation.

The next day, in that same Ottumwa building, Huckabee’s main rival for the Republican nomination couldn’t muster nearly as many supporters. A far smaller crowd gathered to hear former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

State of the Union Liveblog

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:53:46 GMT

Washington Independent staff and friends are gathering around CSPAN's online stream in preparation for the State of the Union Address. Our Hill reporter Mike Lillis just told me the White House has not released the transcript for Bush's speech, but you can check out the 36-page outline here. (LM)

More to come.

9:07: Is that Bernard Kerik or Nouri al-Maliki? (SA)

9:09: Bad joke #1, about legacy: 45 seconds in. (SA)

9:11: One of our computers, where we're streaming C-SPAN, is frozen on a screencap of Bush. Does that mean I have to take continuous drink? (SA)

9:12: Bush calls his $600 check-plan a "robust" solution to our economic woes. (LM)

9:14: He's talking about the economy now and how we're all worried at our kitchen tables. Now he's pushing Congress to give out those incentive checks, sort of like giving candy to toddlers. (MK)

9:12: "Jobs are now growing at a slower pace." Really? (SA)

9:15: I thought shady brokers and lack of regulation played a hand in the subprime fallout -- nope, taxes. (LM)

9:17: Bush just dropped his "no more earmarks" card. (LM)

9:17: Earmarks under a Democratic Congress? No way, Jose! About those previous six, we'll call it even. (SA)

9:18: Anti-earmark executive order threat. The bombs leave the silos in 5 minutes! (SA)

9:18: First time he mentions foreclosure! He wants to reform Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and so on. This is supposed to help more people keep their homes. Somehow, I don't think someone with a subprime loan should wait by the phone...(MK)

9:19: The Washington Independent is looking for smart contributors who know about health care. (LM)

9:21: No Child Left Behind is "succeeding" because it is a "good law" (LM)

9:22: God, his speeches suck without Michael Gerson. (SA)

9:24: Liberate poor children trapped in failing schools! They will greet us with sweets and flowers! (SA)

9:25: Bush: I'm against duty-free. You pay tax on those airport cigarettes, Byung-Hun!

9:26: First reference to terror is about... Columbia. This man is off his game.

9:27: I'm pretty sure earlier this month Congress cut billions in federal funding to high-tech physiciss research. I'll report back. (LM)

9:28: Ah, so he's not serious about carbon emissions at all. Did I fool myself? (SA)

9:29: How can you get a patent on human life? (LM)

9:30: Bush just took a detour into promoting private health-care plans, "We must trust patients and doctors to make better decisions." It was interesting as a half-hearted effort to remind people that despite the Democratic Presidential debate talk of national health care, it is a foreign concept to Republicans. Indeed, For Bush, the most pressing health care industry problem sounds like lawsuits against doctors and HMO's. (MB)

9:30: Hey, dude, it's 9:30. Say SOMETHING about the wars already. You know, your legacy?

9:32: Volunteered in record numbers? Is that why your 2002 volunteerism initiative failed?

9:33: A Katrina reference! That happened? Bush must flash back to that moment -- when his presidency collapsed once and for all -- like if he was survived a Vietnam firefight. Which he did, I guess, by not going to Vietnam.

9:33 Fans of faith-based initiatives were looking forward to what Bush had to say about the program tonight, after failing to mention it last year. They were hoping for a little more than this: a plea to permanently extend Charitable Choice, which makes it easier for faith-based groups to compete for social service grants. One advantage: it's free. (HY)

9:34: Bush crows about charitable foundations, but actually the House Oversight committee has been investigating veterans charities and numerous other foundations for fraud. The investigation could result in these foundations having to itemize exactly how they're spending their money on IRS filings. (MB)

9:35: Bush just made a general call to find a balanced way to deal with immigrants here without documents. Any new ideas? No. (LR)

9:36: There we go. The Bush doctrine survives beyond the grave. "We trust people when given a chance will choose a path of freedom and peace." Yeah, what happened with that? (SA)

9:37: "There is one thing we and our enemies agree on." Torture? (SA)

9:38: Bush's examples of stirring liberty start with Georgia and Ukraine. The only stirring example of liberty mentioned in regard to Iraq is ink-stained fingers...have their been any other stirring examples of liberty in Iraq? (MB)

9:41: Have you notice that Bush only ever talks about Afghanistan at State of the Union addresses? (SA)

9:42: In Iraq, the surge solved everything. The end. (SA)

9:42: 30 minutes into the speech, and I'm wondering about one thing: did Condi and Spellings conspire to wear white? (HY)

9:43: Hey, he acknowledged that the Anbar Awakening happened before the surge! Ah, 80,000 Iraqis fighting the terrorists in the CLCs, the men we've armed and funded like we did the Afghan mujahideen in the 80s. Don't worry, this time it'll all turn out differently. (SA)

9:43: Attacks in Iraq are down! Except now that they're climbing back up. (SA)

9:44: Did someone just scream 'you rock!!', at the 2008 State of the Union? (LM)

9:44: Bush dares to mention Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq, which veers close to the political reconciliation side of the surge. He wisely doesn't elaborate as it's not clear if these team have made any difference in providing electricity, water and safe roads to the neighborhoods the U.S. military has cleared. The teams are so far best known for their lack of Arab speakers. (MB)

9:46: Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, like to Mosul, where they murdered five brave Americans today. Is it or isn't it progress that he no longer talks about victory, but about lowered violence? I'll bet that's what those five irreplaceable Americans wanted to die for. (SA)

9:46: The goal for 2008: to get U.S. troops back into a supporting role in Iraq. Remember when that was the goal in 2004 to 2006?

9:47: There is a standing ovation when Bush announces 20,000 troops are coming home. There is a standing ovation when Bush gives Army commanders a "solemn pledge" that he'll give them what they need in Iraq. What if they say it turns out they need 160,000 troops to keep fatalities down? (MB)

9:49: "Sunni, Shia and Kurds are beginning to come together." Lie. The parliament passed "a de-Baathification law." Yeah, and the Sunnis hate it. "Reconciliation is taking place." Lie.

9:51: Failure in Iraq will "embolden the extremists." No, that wasn't an apology. And how much bolder can they get? They're extremists! (SA)

9:52: It looks like Speaker Pelosi is too engrossed in a book (or the new budget) to give her eyes and ears to the SOTU. (MB)

9:52: I'm just the economics gal here, but when he starts mentioning Iran, am I supposed to get nervous? (MK)

9:54: Wasn't that airplane in LA thing crap? (LM)

9:55: OK, now he's lying about thwarted terrorist attacks. (SA)

9:56: Warrantless domestic surveillance! Forever! It turns out the all-seeing eye of the powerful might be another thing we "share with our enemies." (SA)

9:56: Bush is above giving rational why telecoms deserve "liability protection." You need more a specific reason, I think, why Sprint should not be sued beyond protecting against the dangers of the new century. (MB)

9:57: We aren't doing anything in Sudan, though...(LM)

9:57: "America opposes genocide in Sudan." So there. Genocide stopped. Over 400,000 Darfuris suddenly rise from the dead. (SA)

9:57: I don't think America is leading the fight against global poverty and hunger and disease. That would be Bill Gates. (MK)

10:00: New hiring preferences for military spouses?? (HY)

10:02: As it turns out our "liveblog" might be a bit delayed. We're watching a stream on CSPAN. (LM)

10:02: "Our greatness lies not in our government." Certainly not now. (SA)

10:03: Is that it? (LM)

10:03: That's it? Where are the ordinary heroes in the bleachers the presidents always point to? I really miss that. (MK)

10:15: Gripping post-debate analysis: Where are the flights of fancy? Exploring Mars by 2016? Bush didn't seem to be having fun. The only pet issue discussed seemed to be a fleeting reference to tort reform. (MB)

TSA Copies The Independent Streak

Laura McGann — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:14:50 GMT

It looks like everyone is hopping on this Internet craze! TSA bloggers -- who go by first names only-- set up shop online this week too, with a blog called "Evolution of Security." TSA Adminitstrator Kip Hawley wrote the intro post explaining the blog's mission: Our ambition is to provide here a forum for a lively, open discussion of TSA issues...One of my major goals of 2008 is to get TSA and passengers back on the same side, working together... Seems like the way to get that going is for us to open up and hear your feedback...Flying expert Terry Trippler hit my question about this in an interview with the AP. If I post a comment, do I end up on a no-fly list?

All in the Family?

Laura McGann — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:15:06 GMT

Maria Shriver broke from her husband and endorsed Barack Obama today. Sounds like she's remembering her roots.

Missouri is Florida?

Laura McGann — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:30:36 GMT

Looks like AP botched Missouri.

Obama Takes MO

Laura McGann — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:34:27 GMT

CNN just called it for Obama, sorry AP.

The $6 Million Woman

Laura McGann — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:47:34 GMT

Our politics reporter Holly Yeager (who is inside a ballroom at CPAC) just shot me a message from her Blackberry with news from Clinton's campaign. Yesterday Holly noted Clinton loaned herself $5 million presumably to stay out of the red, but today the campaign's looking much more flush according to an email from Clinton's camp:

You exceeded our $3 million goal in less than 24 hours. In fact, we've already hit FOUR MILLION DOLLARS! Incredible! And so far, more than 35,000 people -- 35,000! -- have made online contributions.
Your response has been so amazing that we are doubling our goal: $6 million in 72 hours.

So is her campaign rolling in it? Or are we being spun?

Holy Mitt

Laura McGann — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:10:46 GMT

It looks like there's a headline writer over at Slate who is as clever as our own Spencer Ackerman! Has someone been trolling The Streak looking for inspiration? Well, probably not, but it gives me one last chance at a Mitt headline pun!

Live Now: Q and A With Clinton, Obama Advisers

Laura McGann — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:19:28 GMT

Over at our sister site Colorado Confidential, Democratic campaign directors Tyler Chafee, running Clinton's camp in Colorado and Ray Rivera of Obama's are answering questions live. Right now! Check it out here.

What to Do With My $600

Laura McGann — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:07:45 GMT

I'm watching Bush sign the economic stimulus bill into law on CNN. According to Mike Lillis, economists aren't in love with it.

Wikileaks 'Shutdown'

Laura McGann — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:01:24 GMT

A federal judge in San Francisco ordered Web-hosting company Dynadot to pull the plug on Wikileaks today, a site created for goverment and corporate whistleblowes with documents "that the world needs to see." The judge handed down the permanent injunction after a Cayman Islands bank sued when company documents appeared on the site. The federal judge's move, of course, doesn't actually delete Wikileaks, which was designed to withstand court-ordered shutdowns. The site -- reportedly started by a group of international political dissidents, mathematicians and journalists -- is still accessible via its IP address and mirror sites.

What Judge Jeffrey S. White's decision does do is raise an important legal question. As NY Times' Adam Liptak points out right off the bat, this case is a "major test of First Amendment rights in the Internet era." Liptak reports that court orders restricting the desemination of specific pieces of information "are disfavored under the First Amendment and almost never survive appellate scrutiny." Nevermind shutting down an ENTIRE site. Way to err on the side of caution, Judge White.

EFF, ACLU Intervene in Wikileaks Case

Laura McGann — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:05:39 GMT

Last week a Federal judge in San Francisco "shutdown" the whistleblower site Wikileaks over a private dispute between a Cayman Islands bank and a disgruntled former employee. The former employee posted company documents to Wikileaks, which the bank claims violated a confidentiality agreement and banking laws.

Online rights group, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU have now intervened in the lawsuit, the bank filed against the site and Dynadot, Wikileaks' domain registrar. EFF and ACLU argue that Judge Jeffrey S. White should not have ordered the closure of the entire site -- an unecessarily far-reaching move.

From the groups' motion (pdf):

The court has entered a "permanent injunction"...even though most of the documents and other materials on the site accessed through that domain name (the "WIkileaks website") have nothing to do with the controversy between the Plaintiffs and the Defendants.

Clearly there is a First Amendment rights question at stake here for the poster, but perhaps more important is the broader issue at stake for media consumers:

In addition to protecting the rights of those who engage in expression themselves, the First Amendment "protects the public's interest in receiving information." ... Moreover, "prior restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and the least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights."

Good luck EFF!

Their Shoes Were Made for Walking

Laura McGann — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:10:23 GMT

And that's what strapped home owners are planning to do, according to the NYT and WSJ. The flagships are hopping on board the next phase of the mortgage crisis: home owners abandoning over-mortgaged houses. And I'm glad to see them covering this important issue, first brought to my attention by our middle class finance reporter Mary Kane last week in her two-part series on walk aways and emerging exurban ghost towns.

She's been way out in front on the widening story of the subprime crash -- from reporting on local efforts to fight off blight to speculators (like former Gov. Jim Florio) profiting off unpaid property taxes.

She's also been first to offer important context for what this disaster means in America:

The fact that owners [in Washington exurbs] and in other overpriced markets around the country are willing and even eager to give their homes to the bank at a huge loss, or that they might consider walking away, is proof that the mortgage crisis has altered in significant ways the long-held American dream of home ownership. It’s cast a pall on the once-reverent relationship between buyer and house, a shift in attitude likely to have effects for years to come, even after the housing market eventually shakes off its excess inventories and returns to normal, whatever that might come to encompass.

Looking forward to your next piece, Mary.