Chemical in China-made toys converts to date-rape drug

Associtated Press
November 8, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Millions of Chinese-made children's toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful ''date rape'' drug when swallowed.

Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. In the United States, the toy goes by the name Aqua Dots, which are distributed by Spin Master Toys based in Toronto.

The beads are sold in general merchandise stores for use in arts and crafts projects.
Scientists say the beads contain a chemical that the human body metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug GHB.

When eaten, the compound can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.

AP>>

Rise In Iraqi Deaths Undercuts Administration’s Claims Of ‘Momentum’ In The War

Throughout this month, the administration has been touting a “trend” of decreasing violence in Iraq. The “violence is thankfully coming down,” said White House spokesperson Dana Perino on Oct. 18.

This morning, Gen. Raymond Odierno held a news briefing on the war in Iraq, declaring, “I believe we have achieved some momentum.” To bolster this claim, Odierno said he sees a downward trend in “civilian deaths”:

Iraqi civilian deaths have also declined in recent months. This has a great deal to do with the overall drop in violence but also has a lot to do with Iraqis coming together as a nation and not dividing along ethnic and sectarian lines. […]

With the civilian populace feeling more secure and cooperating with both Iraqi security forces and coalition forces, this has been able to keep the enemy off balance and our casualty trends began to decline. It is a trend that we are absolutely committed to continuing.

Full story: Think Progress >>

Pakistan emergency likely to end in 2-3 weeks

Wed Nov 7, 2007 12:32am EST
By Simon Cameron-Moore

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf will likely end emergency rule that has drawn widespread international condemnation in two to three weeks, the president of the country's ruling party told a newspaper.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain -- President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, a former prime minister and member of General Musharraf's inner circle -- said the president understood the ramifications of failing to lift the widely criticized measure.

"I'm sure it will end in two to three weeks as President Pervez Musharraf is aware of the consequences of long emergency rule," Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, said in the Dawn's Wednesday edition.

Officials have said national elections will still take place in January, but Musharraf has not yet said when the vote will be held or when the emergency will end.

Pakistani opposition parties will discuss on Wednesday how to overturn emergency rule, hoping to capitalize on international disapproval over the detention of growing numbers of lawyers and political opponents.

Full story: Reuters>>

Total Convicted Republicans 205, Democrats 3.

Republicans Convicted/Pled Guilty
--------------
Republican Governor George Ryan - 4/17/2006 racketeering and bribery - (76 people convicted)
Republican Governor Bob Taft - 8/18/2005. 5 counts failure to report gifts from Lobbyists
Republican Governor John Rowland - 12/24/2004 Bribery
Republican Governor Sonny Perdue - Campaign ethics violations

NH GOP Chair Chuck McGee - conspiricy to make harrasing phone calls to block people from voting.
Republican Aide Allen Raymond
Republican James Tobin (NE Regional Dir., Bush campaign) - 12/15/05 conspiracy to commit telephone harassment, aiding and abetting of telephone harassment
Republican Charles McGee (Executive Director of the NH Republican State Committee )
Republican Shaun Hansen. GOP Marketing aide - conspiracy to commit telephone harassment and aiding and abetting telephone harassment

Republican Aide Scott Falwell - racketeering, mail fraud and obstruction of justice
Republican Aide Alexandra Prokos - Perjury
Republican Aide Jim Ellis - 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution, money laundering
Republican Aide John Colyandro - money laundering
Republican Brian Hicks - bribery
Republican Chief of Staff Peter Ellef - Bribery
Republican Roger G. Stillwell - Interior Department official - bribed by Abramoff

Republican Lobbyist Jack Abramoff - defrauding of American Indian tribes and corruption of public officials
Republican Tony Rudy (lobbyist and aide to Tom Delay) - conspiricy
Republican Representative Bob Ney - Conspiricy to defraud the United States and making false statements
Republican Neil Volz (lobbyist and aide to Bob Ney) - bribery and corruption
Republican William Heaton(Bob Ney's chief of staff) - Conspiricy
Republican Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham - conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion

Republican David Hossein Safavian. Lying, obstruction of Justice
Republican Peter Kott - perjury, solicited bribes
Democratic Senator Traficant - bribery and forcing his aides to perform chores

Republican Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby - two counts of perjury, one of obstruction of justice, and one of making false statements to federal investigators
Republican Tom Noe - Laundered money for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, theft, corruption, party chairman and Bush Pioneer fundraiser
Republican Gov Ernie Fletcher - 13 aides indicted
Republican Micheal Scanlon (lobbyist and aide to Tom DeLay) - bribery
Deputy Secretary Steven Griles - bribery, perjury, obstrcting a congressional investigation.
Republican Congressional aide Mark Zachares - bribery


Confessed under grant of Immunity---------------------------------
Monica Goodling, White House liaison for Alberto Gonzales - Hired federal prosecuters based upon party affiliation.


Indicted/Charged----------------
Republican Tom Delay - conspiring to violate Texas state election law, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Reprimanded by House Ethics Committee
Republican Lawrence Novak
Republican Nathan Taylor
Kyle "Dusty" Foggo (George W Bush's CIA Executive Director) - 30 wide-ranging counts of fraud, conspiracy,
money laundering, leaking classified information.
Republican Lurita Alexis Doan, Administrator of the General Services Administration - violations of the Hatch act.
Democratic Senator William Jefferson - 16 counts of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering


Under investigation---------------------------
Republican Senator Ben Stevens - bribery, corruption
Republican Karl Rove - Abramoff, interfering in federal investigations, obstruction of justice
Republican President George W. Bush - Abramoff, interfering in federal investigations, obstruction of justice
Republican Vice President Dick Cheney - Abramoff, interfering in federal investigations, obstruction of justice
Republican Governor and RNC Chairman Haley Barbour - Laundered money from foreign governments into presidential elections. Used non-profit organizations for illegal purposes. Perjury.
Republican Representive Mark Foley - Pediphilia
Republican Representive Mark Reynolds - Covered up for Mark Foley
Republican Representive Dennis Hastert - Covered up for Mark Foley
Republican Governor Mitt Romney - Made false statements to bondholders
Republican Governor/Ex Representative Jim Gibbons - Bribery
Republican Attorney General Gonzales - Fired US Attorneys for prosecuting Republicans, interfering in federal investigations, obstruction of justice, lying to Congress, perjury, witness tampering.
Republican Paul J. McNulty - Deputy Attorney General. Interfering in federal investigations, obstruction of justice, lying to Congress, perjury
Republican Senator Pete Domenici - Used influence to get a US Attorney fired
Republican Representative Heather Wilson - Used influence to get a US Attorney fired
Republican Representative Tom Feeney - bribery
Republican Representative Richard George Renzi - bribery, conflict on interest.
Republican Representative Jerry Lewis - Accepted gifts from Lobbyists, bribery, honest services fraud, dispensation of special favors
Republican Representative John Doolittle - Accepted money from Jack Abramoff in exchange for favors.
Democratic Representative Alan Mollohan -May have funnelled money to his own home-state foundations
Republican Representative Rick Renzi - bribery, sponsored legislation that dealt hundreds of millions of dollars to his father’s business
Republican Representative Tim Murphy - Ethics violations regarding use of Congressional staff for campaign purposes.
Republican Representative Gary Miller - Illegal land deals, tax fraud
Republican Representative Ken Calvert - Steered federal money to projects near his private real estate developments.
Republican Representative Don Young - bribery

Implicated - May be under investigation---------------------------------------
Richard Shelby (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - AL)
Robert Riley (REPUBLICAN GOVENOR- AL)
J. D. Hayworth (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - AZ)
Dana Rohrabacher (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CA)
Doug Ose (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CA)
Richard Pombo (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CA)
John Doolittle (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CA)
Ed Royce (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CA)
Scott McInnis (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CO)
Rob Simmons (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - CT)
Tom Feeney (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - FL)
Ric Keller (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - FL)
John Isakson (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - GA)
Saxby Chambliss (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - CA)
Jack Kingston (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - GA)
Michael Simpson (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - ID)
Butch Otter (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - ID)
Jerry Walker (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - IL)
Dan Burton (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - IN)
Charles Grassley (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - IA)
BOB EHRLICH (REPUBLICAN GOVENOR- MD)
Dave Camp (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - MI)
Gil Gutknecht (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - MN)
Christopher Bind (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- MO)
Jim Talent (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- MO)
Charles Pickering (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - MS)
Roger Wicker (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - MS)
Thad Cochran (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- MS)
Dennis Rehberg (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- MT)
Jon Christensen (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NE)
John Ensign (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NV)
Roger Wicker (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - MS)
Jim Saxton (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NJ)
Frank LoBiondo (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NJ)
Mike Ferguson (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NJ)
Heather Wilson (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NM)
Charles Taylor (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NC)
Walter Jones (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NC)
Jean Schmidt (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - OH)
Ralph Regula (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - OH)
Ernest Istook (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - OK)
James Inhofe (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- OK)
Tom Coburn (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - OK)
Gordon Smith (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- OR)
Arlen Specter (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- PA)
Curt Weldon (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - PA)
Joe Pitts (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - PA)
John Thune (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - SD)
Bill Janklow (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - SD)
Van Hilleary (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - TN)
Chris Cannon (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- UT)
Eric Canter (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - VA)
Randy Forbes (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - VA)
George Allen (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- VA)
Tom Davis (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - VA)
George Nethercutt (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WA)
Doc Hastings (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WA)
Dave Reichert (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WA)
Mark Green (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WI)
Paul Ryan (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WI)
Shelly Moore Capito (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WV)
Mike Enzi (REPUBLICAN SENATOR- WY)
Barbara Cubin (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - WY)
Robert Riley (REPUBLICAN GOVENOR - AL)
Marilyn Musgrave (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE- CO)
Jim Nussle (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - IA)
Matt Blunt (REPUBLICAN GOVENTOR- MO)
Roy Blunt (REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER - MO)
Jon Christensen (FORMER REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE- NE)
Jeb Bradley (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - NH)
John E Sununu (REPUBLICAN SENATOR - NH)
Jean Schmidt (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - OH)
Joe Wilson(REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - SC)
Gresham Barrett (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - SC)
Henry Brown (REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE - SC)

Convicted: 102 Republicans. 1 Democrat
Indicted: 5 Republicans. 1 Democrats
Confessed under grant of Immunity: 1 Republican. 0 Democrats.
Under investigation: 21 Republicans. 1 Democrat.
implicated: 75 Republicans. 0 Democrats

Total: 204 Republicans. 3 Democrats.