Old news, but still needs posting. From the Guardian (UK):
Justice Department investigators have absolved former Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe of wrongdoing in his relationships with House pages, Kolbe says.
In a statement Wednesday, Kolbe and his Washington lawyers said they received notice Tuesday that investigators had completed their work on the preliminary inquiry opened by federal [...]
From the Yuma Sun:
The federal government has earmarked $42 million to build a new port of entry for commercial trucks at San Luis, ending a yearslong effort to fund the project.
The new port of entry is expected to ease the process of increasing truck traffic in southwestern Arizona. The facility will be built five miles [...]
The conservative Club for Growth released their Congressional Scorecard today. Jeff Flake and John Shadegg tied for number 1 (overall score: 100) with Trent Franks very close behind (98). Other rankings:
Rick Renzi – 51
Ed Pastor – 9
JD Hayworth – 81
Raul Grijalva – 4
Jim Kolbe – 57
Tags: Club for Growth, congressional rankings, arizona delegation, [...]
The National Journal has released its voter ratings for 2006. (Here’s last year’s AZCW post.) The findings:
Raul Grijalva is the third-most liberal member of the House, up from 21st.
Trent Franks has been DETHRONED! The former Most Conservative Member of the House is now 37th. Still the most conservative member of our delegation.
Jeff Flake scores only [...]
Raul Grijalva was the only member of the Arizona delegation to receive a 100 percent score on the Humane Society’s 2006 legislative report card. Other scores:
John McCain: 40
Jon Kyl: 40
Rick Renzi: 56
Trent Franks: 42
John Shadegg: 14
Ed Pastor: 42
J.D. Hayworth: 70
Jeff Flake: 0
Raul Grijalva: 100
Jim Kolbe: 14
The National Taxpayers Union has released their scores for the second 109th Congress (2006)… here’s how our former delegation did (compared with the year before). Franks, Flake, Shadegg and Hayworth all received “Friend of the Taxpayer” honors.
Representative
2006
2005
AZ-01 Rick Renzi
52
56
AZ-02 Trent Franks
83
80
AZ-03 John Shadegg
83
79
AZ-04 Ed Pastor
11
16
AZ-05 J.D. Hayworth
72
69
AZ-06 Jeff Flake
92
91
AZ-07 Raul Grijalva
12
17
AZ-08 Jim Kolbe
59
59
Senator
2006
2005
John McCain
88
78
Jon Kyl
87
87
From the AP:
Jim Kolbe may have stepped into retirement from the U.S. House, but his workaholic days are about to continue.
Kolbe just left Congress after 11 terms and has begun working at a Washington-based think tank. As a senior trans-Atlantic fellow, he’ll focus on trade, aid and migration issues. He also will do strategic consulting [...]
Come see J.D. Hayworth, John Shadegg, Jim Kolbe, John Shadegg and Dennis DeConcini at ASU’s Kerr Cultural Center. Lectures are weekly beginning Feb. 7 and start at 10 a.m. More info here.
Tags: asu, goldwater series, j.d. hayworth, john shadegg, jim kolbe, dennis deConcini
From the Republic:
Retired Rep. Jim Kolbe is asking federal election officials if he can use his unspent campaign cash to pay legal bills related to congressional and Justice Department inquiries into a rafting trip he took with two underage former male pages and others in 1996.
A hearing has been set Thursday before the Federal Election [...]
The Tucson Citizen has some advice:
U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe: Resolve to take it easy. You deserve that after 22 years in that squirrel cage known as the U.S. House. Thanks for all you did and thanks for what you tried to do but were foiled.
Killing the penny? Keeping mobile immigration checkpoints out of Southern AZ? [...]
Jim Kolbe talks with the Washington Blade about life, the universe, and retiring:
On being “out” in Congress: “My strongest contributions were simply standing up and talking about these issues on the floor, in caucuses and when it came up for debate… There’s something to be said for speaking up for equality.”
On the proposed marriage protection [...]
An 89-page House ethics committee report into the scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley’s graphic e-mails to male congressional pages devotes at least four pages to Kolbe.
The panel concluded that Kolbe, 64, did not violate any House rule or standard of conduct in his handling of a former page’s complaint in 2001 about a Foley [...]
All taken before Sine Die adjournment on 12/8:
Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act
A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to serious adverse event reporting for dietary supplements and nonprescription drugs, and for other purposes. Passed the House 203 – 98.
Yea: None
Nay: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Hayworth, Flake
Not voting: [...]
“The FBI has begun several internal investigations, including at least one that could result in criminal charges, over leaks to the media about public corruption probes shortly before last month’s elections,” reports the AP. Jim Kolbe was named in the article as one of the targets whose investigation was leaked…
H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006, failed 250 – 162 in the House (2/3 vote required).
Yea: Renzi*, Franks*, Shadegg*, Hayworth, Flake
Nay: Pastor, Grijalva, Kolbe
*cosponsor
The Republic paints a stark picture:
“We’re here to pick up your keys,” said the man, his voice full of officialdom.
“My keys?” asked [Kolbe staffer Kevin] Dorner, appearing to be caught totally by surprise.
“The keys to your office.”
Moments later, two other visitors from U.S. House Support Services arrived to announce they were taking the remaining computer [...]
Rumor has it that this is going to be the last week for the 109th. Enjoy the last of the legislation:
H.R.1176 — To provide immunity for nonprofit athletic organizations in lawsuits arising from claims of ordinary negligence relating to the passage, adoption, or failure to adopt rules of play for athletic competitions and practices. Failed [...]
From the Arizona Daily Star:
[Jim] Kolbe, a Tucson Republican who announced his retirement plans a year ago, reported visiting Turkey, Italy, Poland, England, Canada, Spain and Belgium since June — all on the dime of private groups including the Aspen Institute and the German Marshall Fund.
…
“Privately sponsored travel is supposed to be for official business,” [...]
From the Business Journal of Phoenix [Anyone else notice that Mike Sunnucks has been on the radio just about every day? Go Mike!]
Three Arizona Republicans and two Democrats were among those voting to block a proposed free trade accord between the U.S. and Vietnam.
The U.S. House of Representatives failed to muster the necessary two-thirds [...]
H.R. 864, To provide for programs and activities [grants, more grants, national ad campaign] with respect to the prevention of underage drinking, passed the House 373 – 23.
Voted Yea: Renzi, Franks, Shadegg, Pastor, Hayworth, Grijalva*
Voted Nay: Flake, Kolbe
*cosponsor