Entries from Gothamist tagged with 'congress'
July 22, 2008
Adam Sullivan had big plans to take down Congressman Jerry Nadler, who, as chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, refuses to hold hearings to investigate the impeachment of President Bush. Last month Sullivan, a director and actor, announced his bid to oust the incumbent, and impeachment activists began rallying to the cause. Just one problem – Sullivan had registered as a Democrat far too late to run in November. He formally quit the......
Continue Reading "Adam Sullivan Drops Out of Race to Oust Nadler "July 17, 2008
Activists pushing for the impeachment of President Bush were dealt a blow this week in their quest to unseat West side Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler. His opponent Adam Sullivan – whose nascent campaign arose out of outrage at Nadler’s refusal to hold hearings to investigate impeaching Bush – has run into a little snag. In the rush to launch his campaign, Sullivan, who previously had no political affiliation, didn't understand that it was too late......
Continue Reading "Congressional Candidate Adam Sullivan May Be Forced Off Ballot"July 14, 2008
Today President Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling ban (which his father actually put in place in 1990) saying, "We need to increase the supply of oil, especially here at home..Today, I've taken every step within my power to allow offshore exploration of the OCS. All that remains is for the Democratic leaders in Congress to allow a vote." Offshore drilling can only begin if Congress repeals the legislative ban on drilling; Representative......
Continue Reading "Bush Lifts Offshore Drilling Ban"June 25, 2008
Everything’s connected: Kevin Powell was a star in MTV’s very first season of The Real World – now he’s campaigning to be the congressional representative for a district that includes the location of the new Real World apartment in downtown Brooklyn. And not only that, Powell is enlisting the help of comedian Dave Chappelle, who once lampooned the reality series in a hilarious skit called The Mad Real World. Go ahead and take a minute......
Continue Reading "Dave Chappelle to Perform at Kevin Powell Fundraiser"June 25, 2008
Yesterday, Department of Buildings acting commissioner Robert LiMandri testified before the House Education and Labor Committee and announced new ways the city would increase crane safety, including inspecting cranes when they change ownership. LiMandri also asked for more OSHA inspectors--who should also be given the power to issue stop-worker orders--noting he was "deeply troubled" by the recent crane collapse deaths, "It is simply impossible for our inspectors to be at every site at all times."......
Continue Reading "Buildings Department Discusses Construction Safety with Congress"June 12, 2008
Make sure you’re sitting down: Because of a surge in visa requests, America is currently in the grips of a severe fashion model shortage. The problem is that professional good looking people from overseas have to apply for the same H-1B visas that pasty high-tech workers require. According to Politico, demand for the visas is double the 85,000 spots available in the category per year; in the fiscal year 2007 only 349 models from overseas......
Continue Reading "Models From Abroad Have Hard Time Getting Visas"May 27, 2008
Scandal-troubled Vito Fossella and his wife Mary Pat were seen at the 28th annual Advance Memorial Day Run. In their first public appearance since Fossella apologized for his DWI, the Advance reports the couple "were on-hand to show support for their son, Dylan, who was among the more than 1,000 individuals who ran the four-mile race." A witness told the Post the couple "kept their distance. They didn't look like they were together. It didn't......
Continue Reading "Fossellas Step Out Together"May 21, 2008
Mary Pat Fossella has made her first public words after her Congressman husband's DWI arrest and admission about an extramarital affair and love child. She sent an e-mail to the Post:This has been a very painful time for my family and I. I have known Vito since I was 16 years old and this is not what I envisioned for him and my family. I had no idea of this world he was living. I......
Continue Reading "Fossella's Wife Tells Post She Had "No Idea""May 20, 2008
Deciding that a DWI arrest and an extramarital affair resulting in a love child are too much burden going into November elections, Representative Vito Fossella has announced he will end his stint in Congress when his current term ends. He posted a letter explaining his decision--he wants to "concentrate on healing the wounds that I have caused to my wife and family"--on his website (the full letter is also below). Fossella's decision comes after......
Continue Reading "Vito Fossella Announces He Won't Run for Re-Election"May 19, 2008
Question: If a politician gets arrested for drunk driving and then has to cop to an extra-marital affair that spawned a secret love-child, does that mean he's unelectable? Embattled Republican congressman Vito Fossella doesn't think so; he's telling friends and advisers that that he thinks he can win re-election, the Times has it. After lying low for a little while, Fossella began tip-toeing back into the public eye this weekend with an appearance at a......
Continue Reading "Fossella Resurfaces, Spurring Reelection Speculation"May 17, 2008
Congressman Vito Fossella made two public appearances last night, one at a Gracie Mansion dinner for the NY Congressional delegation and another at a Conservative Party dinner in Staten Island. Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro felt Fossella's appearance meant the embattled representative would run for re-election, "It makes me think that he's a candidate. Why else would he bother?" One Democrat who attended the dinner agreed and told the Daily News, "This is a......
Continue Reading "Vito Fossella Continues Public Appearances"May 12, 2008
Representative Vito Fossella still has not uttered a peep about whether he's going to resign or stay on as a member of Congress in the wake of his DWI arrest and admission of having a love child and girlfriend in Virginia. But here's what's happening since yesterday!His crisis consultant says, "Congressman Fossella appreciates the support of so many people, including Guy Molinari, but he has not made any decision yet. And he continues to spend......
Continue Reading "Today's Vito Fossella Update"May 11, 2008
A close friend of Representative Vito Fossella says the troubled Congressman is far from thinking about resignation. Maybe! At first, former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari told the Staten Island Advance Fossella "has every intention of running." But then Molinari withdrew the statement, amending it to, "I wouldn't be surprised if the ultimate decision is to run again." The Post notes how Fossella was allegedly surprised that other members of the House GOP might......
Continue Reading "Fossella May Be Thinking About Re-Election"May 10, 2008
After his DWI arrest led to admitting an affair and a 3-year-old love child in Virginia, Representative Vito Fossella returned to Staten Island to rampant speculation of his imminent resignation. Not only has the media predicted a resignation could come soon, the Advance reports House GOP leader Rep. John Boehner and Republican National Campaign Committee head Rep. Tom Cole have contacted Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan to see if he's interested in the seat.......
Continue Reading "More Details About Fossella's Affair as GOP Looks for Other Options"May 9, 2008
The noose is tightening around Representative Vito Fossella's political career: Many insiders think he should resign immediately, especially so the Republican can work on a replacement candidate for reelection this fall, and the Staten Island Advance editorial demands that he resign, "Far too much damage has been done to his personal reputation and credibility at this point for him to recover and be an effective public servant. And there is too much potential for......
Continue Reading "Vito Fossella Adds Baby Daddy to Resume; Political Future Uncertain"May 4, 2008
Even though Representative Vito Fossella is apologetic and looking for forgiveness, there are still questions about the woman who picked Fossella up from the Alexandria, VA jail. Laura Fay is described as a 45-year-old retired Air Force colonel, who is a single mother with a young daughter. Susan Del Percio, Fossella's newly hired consultant to deal with his DWI crisis, told Staten Island Advance the congressman and Fay became friends when she was a House......
Continue Reading "Press Descends on Fossella's Post-DWI Ride"May 3, 2008
Representative Vito Fossella, who was arrested for a DWI outside of DC on Thursday, said, "This was an error in judgment. This mistake will not happen again." The Republican congressman held a press conference yesterday, to face the media and apologize again for his arrest. While he did not go into the details of his arrest, the Alexandria, VA arrest warrant indicated his blood alcohol was 0.17--twice the legal limit--and the police charged him with......
Continue Reading "Rep. Fossella Says He Won't Resign After DWI"May 2, 2008
Vito Fossella, the lone Republican Congressional representative from New York City, was arrested early yesterday morning for driving while impaired outside of Washington, D.C. Fossella, whose activities leading up to the arrest are not known (his day events included the NY Giants' visit to the White House), issued this statement:"Last night I made an error in judgment. As a parent, I know that taking even one drink of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of......
Continue Reading "Rep. Vito Fossella Apologizes for Drunk Driving Arrest"March 8, 2008
The police think the 10-speed bicycle, left near the trash on Thursday morning, belongs to the person who bombed the army recruiting center in Times Square. The bike, left on East 38th Street, was found by some workers who heard about the bombing and contacted the police, who learned of the bike at 7 a.m. (the bombing occurred around 3:45 a.m.). Surveillance footage shows the suspected bomber on a bicycle near the recruiting center......
Continue Reading "NYPD: Trashed Bike May Be Times Square Bomber's"March 7, 2008
Photographs of the damaged recruiting center (above) and Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly (below) by Mary Altaffer/AP The FBI said letters sent to many Congressional members with a photograph of a man standing in front of the Times Square recruiting center and an anti-war manifesto were not linked to yesterday's bombing outside the center. A law enforcement source did call the letters an "incredibly unbelievable coincidence," as they arrived in many offices yesterday,......
Continue Reading "DC Letters Not Linked to Times Square Bombing; Similarities With Earlier Consulate Bombings"March 6, 2008
Some Capitol Hill offices received letters claiming responsibility for this morning's bombing in Times Square. WNBC reports that the letters, which arrived today, included a photo of the Army recruiting center "before it was bombed and...the words 'We did it.'" According to the AP, Senator Dianne Feinstein's office sent this email to other lawmakers:"A few offices on the House side have received a letter today addressed to 'Members of Congress' with a picture of a......
Continue Reading "BREAKING: Letter to Congress Claims Responsibility for Times Square Bombing"March 6, 2008
If you're one of those people that think the FBI has better things to do than investigate Roger Clemens, you have an ally in Washington DC. Congressman Anthony Weiner voiced his opinion on the investigation into Clemens. Weiner sent a letter to the Attorney General questioning the benefit of continuing the investigation into Clemens’ testimony to Congress, saying "Whether or not Roger Clemens may have committed perjury should not compete with real national security threats......
Continue Reading "Weiner Calls For Stop to Clemens Inquiry"February 29, 2008
The news just gets worse and worse for Roger Clemens. A day after Congress asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Clemens lied about performance enhancing drugs in testimony, the FBI announced that it is leading the inquiry. Clemens is about to learn that you can’t intimidate the FBI with a 95-mph fastball. They won’t back down if you throw a piece of a broken bat at them. Glare at them all you want, it......
Continue Reading "Now the FBI is After Clemens' Buttocks"February 28, 2008
Photo of Roger Clemens looking at Brian McNamee by AP/Susan Walsh Roger Clemens asked for a chance to testify in Congress and now he had better be prepared to face the consequences of that choice. Congressmen Henry Waxman and Tom Davis have sent a letter to the Attorney General asking him to investigate if Clemens committed perjury or made false statements in his testimony to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Among the questions......
Continue Reading "Congress Asks for Investigation of Clemens' Statements "February 26, 2008
It looks like Roger Clemens didn’t convince any Democrats with his testimony in front of Congress February 13th. According to anonymous sources, a letter to the Justice Department has been drafted asking the it to investigate whether Clemens, and not McNamee, committed perjury during hearings in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Keith Ausbrook, Republican chief counsel for the committee, told reporters that he was unaware of the letter, indicating that......
Continue Reading "Clemens May Face Investigation from Justice Dept."February 14, 2008
Photo of (left to right) Rusty Hardin, Roger Clemens, Lanny Breuer by AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais And now Roger Clemens’ fate hangs in the balance. Not just his baseball fate, but also his entire future. Because there is only one thing we can definitively conclude from yesterday’s hearing in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform - somebody lied. Brian McNamee and Roger Clemens told two completely different versions of the same......
Continue Reading "Clemens at The Capitol - The Day After"February 13, 2008
Photo (left to right) of Brian McNamee, Charles Scheeler, Roger Clemens by AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais After a morning of denials and denouncements at a hearing in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform one thing is clear, Brian McNamee and Roger Clemens deserve each other. As Chairman, Henry Waxman, made clear at the start of the proceedings this morning one of them is lying and based on the testimony so far......
Continue Reading "Clemens vs. McNamee - Round 1"February 12, 2008
Photo of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte by AP/Chris O'Meara Andy Pettitte has always wanted the ball in his hand with the game on the line...until now. Faced with the prospect of having to publicly contradict his friend, Roger Clemens, Pettitte asked to be excused from tomorrow’s hearing in Congress. Representative Tom Davis told Newsday last night that the Pettitte deposition matched McNamee’s in “most details” but Roger Clemens’ deposition says Pettitte is mistaken.......
Continue Reading "Pettitte Scratched From Congressional Hearing"February 9, 2008
HGH is apparently fun for the whole family, at least if you believe Brian McNamee. McNamee claims to not only have injected Roger Clemens, but also his wife Debbie in preparation for the photo shoot with Sports Illustrated pictured above. No word yet on whether any of Debbie’s DNA is in this mess, but you can buy an autographed copy of her picture here for only $35. And, since the 2008 SI swimsuit issue......
Continue Reading "They May Be Spectacular, But Are They Real?"February 6, 2008
Roger Clemens went to Congress and spoke with congressional lawyers for five hours on Tuesday. While the meeting was private, Clemens did speak to reporters afterwards and reiterated his innocence saying, "It was great to be able to tell them what I've been saying all along -- that I've never used steroids or growth hormone." One of Clemens’ lawyers, Lanny Breuer added that Clemens "answered every question that was posed to him today.” So, Clemens......
Continue Reading "Does McNamee Have A Smoking Gun?"
