WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (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.
Guessing game -- What Midwest utility company is so influential that what the lobbying community has labeled "their" plan for a system of energy emission credits can be found in President Bush's controversial "global warming" proposal for a "voluntary carbon dioxide trading" regime announced Thursday?
Hint #1: Press reports have described this utility as a major client of a law firm that employs an attorney with a name remarkably similar to that of the key White House staffer responsible for crafting Bush's CO2 proposal.
Hint #2: Global warming skeptics estimate the utility firm could make millions in unearned "rents" by selling CO2 "credits" stockpiled from putting their aging coal-fired plants out to pasture in favor of less CO2-intensive gas plants.
Women used as sex slaves, say feminists -- The Feminist Majority Foundation, led by former National Organization for Women president Ellie Smeal, reports the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was heavily involved in the trafficking of women as sexual slaves.
In the group's Daily News Wire this week, the FMF cites remarks from Gen. Mohammed Qasim, who they say is an official in the interim Afghan Ministry of Justice. The FMF says Qasim "has pledged to investigate the thousands of female abductions committed by the Taliban. However, he has admitted that many of the women and girls kidnapped... (and) would be difficult to locate, as many of them have been killed" or are no longer in the country.
The FMF says that many of the women "were sent to Pakistan to be sold to brothels, trafficked to al Qaida training camps, or sold to wealthy clients inside and outside of Afghanistan."
Balancing act -- GOP Reps. Ernest Istook of Oklahoma and Jim Nussle of Iowa are asking their House colleagues to co-sponsor a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As their "Dear Colleague" letter on the subject says, "In 1995, 300 members of the House cast an historic bipartisan vote for the Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," which then failed in the Senate by one vote because Republican Mark Hatfield of Oregon refused to go along with his GOP colleagues in voting for it.
With deficit spending once again on the table, Istook and Nussle once again are offering the language used in 1995, hoping this time the amendment will pass and be sent to the states for ratification.
Love notes -- In honor of Valentine's Day, the Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media, a grassroots group that says it is devoted to exposing media bias, is sending "love notes" to ABC news anchor Peter Jennings. The group's "Operation Valentine," which began on Feb. 6, encourages the American television public to send an anti-valentine to Jennings with a pithy but pointed note or poem inside. For example: "Roses are red, but you say they're blue. Tell us the truth, not just your own view."
Jennings was chosen for the 2002 project because he has been the recipient of CCRMs "Outrage of the Week" more than any other national broadcaster in the past year. In 2001, the same effort focused on CBS News' Dan Rather, causing more than 50,000 e-mail messages and cards to be sent to him.
Pilgrimage -- The American Muslim Council holds its second leadership conference for imams from April 26-29 at the Mark Center Hilton in Alexandria, Va. Subjects scheduled to be discussed at the conference include: The political role of mosques and Islamic centers; understanding the American political system; the role of the leaders of religious institutions; and the role of imams vis-à-vis youth and women.
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