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Drudge banners: "IOU" and links to this LA Times story on the budget crisis in California. And the U.S. says North Korea does not appear to be readying a missile launch in this Bloomberg story is also highlighed on Drudge. ... READ MORE

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Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) appeared to open the door to the Obama administration making more demands Israel in the peace process while in the country, writes Paul. And new polling shows that support for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is ... READ MORE

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The entire committee system in Congress "leaves a lot to be desired," writes Matthew Yglesias. And Yglesias also points out a general thought among the punditry right now: Congress is asserting its dominance in setting and controlling the agenda, not ... READ MORE

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September 3, 2008

Prosecutors File More Motions Against Stevens

@ 12:28 pm by Hill Staff

Government lawyers have filed another round of salvos against indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), rejecting his lawyers' claims that the case violates the Constitution.

In the new filings, Justice Department attorneys reject claims by Stevens's lawyers that the case should be dismissed because it focuses on his legislative behavior — thereby violating the speech-or-debate and separation-of-powers clauses in the Constitution. The government's case, they suggest, is broader.

A brief filed Tuesday by Stevens's lawyers "mistakenly theorizes that the government's proof has turned or will turn on evidence of defendant's legislative acts rather than merely official or political acts," states the government's new filing. The filing goes on to accuse Stevens and his lawyers of misinterpreting the Constitution's principles of separating the legislative and executive branches.

Stevens, 84, faces felony charges for failing to report on his Senate disclosure forms more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an Alaskan oil-services company. Stevens has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges.

Last week he won a GOP primary for reelection, leaving only the general election in November. He is being represented by Washington lawyers Brendan Sullivan, Robert Cary and Alex Romain.

Two other long-simmering arguments are also playing out in the pre-trial jockeying: Stevens's lawyers want to limit the scope of the evidence that will be admissible at the trial and allow discussion of the criminal pasts of government witnesses.

Last month, the government revealed it has more than 100,000 pages of documents and 400 hours of audio and video surveillance on Stevens, including 105 phone calls involving the senator. Stevens's lawyers want that material minimized and indexed.

-J. Taylor Rushing

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