Senator Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) announced on Friday that he now does want the Senate ethics committee to conduct public hearings on charges against him of sexual misconduct. Packwood had earlier requested, and the Senate voted 52-48 to allow, closed hearings -- since then, however, two new allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced. There is speculation that Packwood's sudden announcement seeking public hearings was aimed at forestalling another Senate vote, one that might reverse the earlier decision. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.), who led the campaign for public hearings, said in an interview that Packwood might also use the hearings to badger his accusers, out of a belief that "The only way he can get a light sentence is to impugn the witnesses." Boxer added, "Senator Packwood’s request...may seem surprising on the surface, but this was really his only choice given the rising tide of public opinion."
5/23/2013 AZ 20 Week Abortion Ban Struck Down - On Tuesday, the Arizona law banning abortion after 20 weeks in a pregnancy was ruled unconstitutional and permanently struck down. . . .
5/23/2013 West Point Sergeant Accused of Filming Female Cadets - A sergeant first class with the US Military Academy at West Point is facing charges of secretly filming female cadets with hidden cameras and without consent. . . .
5/22/2013 Immigration Reform Bill Advances In Senate - Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a sweeping immigration reform bill in a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5. . . .
