BREVITAS

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MEDIA

EDITOR & PUBLISHER - Staffers at McClatchy's Washington, D.C., Bureau --
one of the few major news outlets skeptical of intelligence reports
during the run-up to the war in Iraq -- claims it is now being punished
for that coverage. Bureau Chief John Walcott and current and former
McClatchy Pentagon correspondents say they have not been allowed on the
Defense Secretary's plane for at least three years, claiming the news
company is being retaliated against for its reporting. "It is because
our coverage of Iraq policy has been quite critical," Walcott told E&P.
He added, "I think the idea of public officials barring coverage by
people they've decided they don't like is at best unprofessional, at
worst undemocratic and petty." Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman called
such assertions "absurd," adding, "There is no basis of fact for that
allegation. It is not true. There are always more people who would like
to travel with the secretary than seats available."

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.
jsp?vnu_content_id=1003588819


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ECOLOGY

SIERRA CLUB - Tulsa, Oklahoma, has became the 500th city to sign the
U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to reduce global warming
pollution. The goal is to slash local carbon dioxide emissions to seven
percent below 1990 levels by 2012. There are now "Cool Cities" in all 50
states, representing nearly 65 million Americans

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2007/05/hats_off_to_tul.html

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OUTLYING PRECINCTS

DANIELLE BRIAN, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT - The House Judiciary
Committee . . . stripped a provision in their "ethics reform" package
that would have extended the ban for Members of Congress and their staff
becoming lobbyists from one year to two. The reason? Chairman John
Conyers said he opposed the ban because it would hinder his ability,
"attracting and retaining top flight staff." What an insult to the
dozens of Hill staff I know, let alone Members of Congress, who have
absolutely no interest in becoming a lobbyist. They are there because
they love public service. Aren't those the kind of people we should be
attracting to the Hill, rather than those planning, in advance, to cash
in on their contacts to become lobbyists?

http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2007/05/conyers_strips_.html

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FIELD NOTES
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GEORGE KENNEY PODCAST - Wayne White was the fellow who'd gather and
prepare the analysis and brief the principals -- such as the head of
NSA, the head of CIA, and so on. In short, Wayne was a very senior
analyst. In his post-government career he remains one of the top U.S.
experts on the Middle East, playing, for example, a critical staff role
in preparing the Baker-Hamilton report. . . Wayne was against the Iraq
war from before it started and subsequently has consistently been
correct (not that he really wanted to be) in his predictions about the
course of events.

http://www.electricpolitics.com/podcast/2007/05/akrasia_in_iraq.html

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