WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Capital Comment -- News notes, political rumors, and important events that shape politics and public policy in Washington and the world from United Press International.
On the road again -- Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., says he hasn't been flying much on his regular commute between Washington and his home district, preferring to drive. The young Democrat has had plenty of time to think about the other Jesse L. Jackson who is on the ballot for the March 19 primary.
Jackson has asked the Illinois State Board of Elections to remove the other Jackson from the ballot and will pursue a lawsuit challenging the candidacy of the 68-year-old Robbins, Ill., man as a political dirty trick by person or persons unknown to siphon off votes. "A crime has occurred in my district. I'm going to hang around that crime ... until I get to the bottom of that crime," Rep. Jackson said at Northwestern University Law School Tuesday. "We can't on the one hand raise objections about what happened in Florida and turn around and ignore what's taking place in Chicago." Jackson's new book "A More Perfect Union" calls for codifying basic human rights in the U.S. Constitution.
And safe at home -- Arkansas GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee and his family have moved back into the governor's mansion after a prolonged absence due to a major $12 million renovation of the structure. During their 18-month exile, the Huckabee family lived in a 2,131-square-foot "triplewide" mobile home placed on the mansion grounds -- and endured a number of barbs, including on late night television, for their trouble. The home, which Mrs. Huckabee vehemently and repeatedly insisted was not a "trailer," will now be given to charity.
Free speech under fire -- "The most protected of all free speech -- public political speech -- is under attack," at least as far as the conservative public interest Southeastern Legal Foundation is concerned. In a message to supporters, foundation President Phil Kent writes, "In the wake of the Enron debacle, U.S. House liberals are pushing for passage of Shays-Meehan ... In the past two weeks, Shays' advocates have picked up nearly all necessary votes to force a 'discharge petition' to move the unconstitutional legislation to the floor of the House." Kent says the legislation is "dangerous" because, under its provisions, "No group or individual could advertise their opinion on any issue 30 days from a primary election and 60 days from a general election" which the foundation says "is a direct attack on conservatives, liberal interest groups, and unions, who spend valuable resources to 'get out the message' on important issues. In short, if the candidates aren't talking about an issue, nobody else is, either. This is a direct and unconstitutional attack on our First Amendment rights." The foundation is urging supporters to contact Congress in opposition to the bill.
A bad holding call -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is trying to set the record straight after what he called inaccurate reports that he held stock in now-bankrupt Enron appeared in print. "Mr. Rumsfeld does not own any shares in Enron," the Pentagon said in a statement released last week. "Contrary to the Associated Press, Washington Times, USA Today and New York Times stories, to the best of his knowledge he has never owned shares in Enron, and definitely has not since he divested most of his holdings on reentering government in January 2001," the Dec. 22 statement says.
Rumsfeld divested his investments shortly after taking the helm at the Pentagon and they are now handled in a blind trust -- which begs the question, "How does Rumsfeld know he doesn't own any Enron stock if he doesn't know what stock it is he owns?"
Mapmaker, mapmaker, make me a map -- The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reports that state legislative leaders have settled, "at least for the moment," a fight among Democrats that impeded the redrawing of districts that threatened the May 7 primary. The Dispatch says the new map divides Franklin County into three congressional districts for the first time. "Crucial to the settlement was an exchange of territory in Summit County between the districts of Democratic Reps. Tom Sawyer of Akron and Sherrod Brown of Lorain," the paper says. Under the plan, the congressional district of renegade Democrat James Traficant would be eliminated because the state loses a seat due to redistricting. Traficant is currently fighting federal corruption charges and, should he choose to seek re-election, would likely take on fellow Democrat Rep. Ted Strickland in an inter-party squabble that would no doubt attract national attention.
The bare facts -- A Florida court is being asked to settle a thorny invasion-of-privacy issue that has one young co-ed claiming she was stripped of her dignity. The manufacturer of the "Girls Gone Wild" family of videotapes that contain images of college students and others cavorting in states of undress is being sued by a Florida State University business major who appears in one of the tapes and in a late night commercial.
The woman, who admits that she removed her top in exchange for beads and trinkets, as is the custom among revelers at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, is suing for unspecified damages. The company that produces the tapes says that privacy protection does not exist for people who take their clothes off in a public place, especially one that is likely to be rife with photographic equipment. The case will like be "in the nudes" for some time.
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