ABCDE Partly sunny. 100/78 • Tomorrow: T-storms. 94/74 • details, B10 They don’t call ’em dog days for nothing WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 WITH A STATE by Jerry Markon and Michael D. Shear MICHAEL WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Brenna Foster and Buddy beat the heat in Wheaton Regional Park. Near-record temperatures, including 102 degrees at Reagan National Airport, spread across the Eastern Seaboard on Tuesday. Story, B1 Photo gallery, forecast and extended coverage on
postlocal.com
High temperatures for June and July 100°
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SOURCE: National Weather Service 7 8 *Record highs. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24* 25 26 27* 28 29 30
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3 4 5 6 THE WASHINGTON POST Steele seen as an albatross for the GOP
Many leaders bypassing RNC chief to keep party on track for midterms
by Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza Michael S. Steele appears likely
to weather his gaffe about the war in Afghanistan, perhaps his most significant lapse as chair- man of the Republican National Committee. But many Republi- can leaders have lost confidence in his ability to head the GOP and are working around him to keep
Democrats digging
for Republican dirt Opposition research against Republican opponents is more aggressive than ever. A4
No ad flood after
high court’s ruling Unions, not corporations, have dominated this season’s spending on campaign ads. A4
it on track for the midterm elec- tions.
Some Republican strategists say privately that Steele’s trou-
of public opinion Muslim justice faces constitutional controversy
by Sudarsan Raghavan in nairobi
F
or 13 years, Judge Mudhar Ahmed has worked in rela- tive obscurity, issuing Mus-
lim marriage certificates, divorc- ing Muslim couples and weighing in on Muslim inheritance dis- putes. Now, he’s facing an issue unlike any he has seen. He has one word to describe it: “Islam- ophobia.”
Ahmed is the head of Nairobi’s Kadhis Court, one of 17 judicial bodies that administer sharia, or Islamic law, to Kenya’s Muslim minority. The courts were en- shrined in the nation’s constitu- tion decades ago, but Christian
leaders are seeking to remove them from a proposed new con- stitution, scheduled for a referen- dum Aug. 4. They argue that Ken- ya is a secular state and that Mus- lims should not receive special privileges. Muslim leaders say the maneu- vers are part of an agenda to deny their community rights and un- dermine their beliefs. “They are creating hatred between Muslims and Christians,” said Ahmed, his soft voice hardening. The tussle portends a larger collision between Islam and Christianity in Kenya, a vital U.S. ally in a region where Washing- ton is quietly fighting the growth
kenya continued on A7 Kenya’s courts
bles have weakened the party in an all-important election year. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) recently said he worries that fundraising prob- lems at the RNC could hamper Republicans’ efforts to take over the House in November, as major donors express reluctance to con- tribute to the organization under Steele. One House Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the conse- quences of Steele’s leadership candidly, said the party will do well in November because of the general political climate. But, he added, “we are going to be in a position to lose seats that we
could win.” State parties are bracing for a possible deficit in resources from the national committee, which would make it difficult to fully fund get-out-the-vote operations. “Hopefully a lot of the local par- ties are picking up what is per- ceived to be a shortfall in funds,” said Saul Anuzis, an RNC mem- ber from Michigan. One GOP strategist said fund-
raisers and donors lack confi- dence in the organization’s ability to manage its resources. “They want to invest their money to win seats. They don’t trust this guy
steele continued on A4
Lawmakers renew efforts to increase long-distance slots
by Lisa Rein
A handful of federal lawmakers are seeking to vastly expand the number of long-distance flights at Reagan National Airport, easing long-standing restrictions de- signed to protect neighboring communities from noise and air pollution. The proposal reached the Sen-
ate floor in the spring, but Vir- ginia’s senators, Mark Warner (D) and James Webb (D), succeeded in beating it back. But Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), and Sens. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) revived the plan last week during
102° 88°
The Obama administration sued Arizona over the state’s new immigration law on Tuesday, an assertion of federal power that sets up a rare clash with a state on one of the nation’s most divisive political issues. The Justice Department law- suit charges that the Arizona law cracking down on illegal immi- grants conflicts with federal law, would disrupt immigration en- forcement and would lead to po- lice harassment of those who can- not prove their lawful status. Filed in federal court in Arizona, it says the state’s measure is un- constitutional and asks a judge to stop it from taking effect. “The Constitution and the fed-
Immigration measure called unconstitutional
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Justice Dept. sues Arizona over law UNUSUAL CLASH
eral immigration laws do not per- mit the development of a patch- work of state and local immigra- tion policies throughout the country,” the lawsuit says. The Arizona law, signed by Gov.
Jan Brewer (R) in April, gives po- lice the power to question anyone who they have a “reasonable sus- picion” is an illegal immigrant. In challenging a state law, fed-
eral lawyers stepped squarely into the politically charged de- bate over how to handle the na- tion’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Reaction to the suit poured in from all sides, much of it blistering, making it clear that this was no ordinary legal filing but rather the start of a battle that will help define the midterm elections this fall. “Not only does this lawsuit re- veal the Obama administration’s contempt for immigration laws and the people of Arizona, it re- veals contempt for the majority of the American people who sup-
arizona continued on A12
Editorial: Justifiable suit is just a start. A14
Flight restrictions at National targeted
negotiations with the House over a bill funding the Federal Aviation Administration. The move resurrects a cam-
paign by western lawmakers and the airline industry that has infu- riated residents of Arlington and Fairfax counties and Alexandria, many of whom oppose longer flights because they might require larger, heavier planes that make more noise. “I’m horrified,” said Leo Schef-
er, president of the Washington Airports Task Force, a nonprofit group that has fought to limit Na- tional’s capacity. “It’s a bunch of Western senators meddling with our local community. How would they feel if we started meddling with their community?” The so-called perimeter rule, which bans most flights to desti- nations more than 1,250 miles from National, would be eased
national continued on A11 For scammers, senior citizens are rich prey In wealthy Montgomery Coun- by Dan Morse
Murders and violent crimes are down around the Washington re- gion and the country, but one kind of crime is rising steadily: scams against the elderly. Senior citizens are reticent vic- tims who avoid telling family members for fear of going to nurs- ing homes, or don’t even report swindles for fear of having to tes- tify in court. “There’s just a low chance of
KATHERINE FREY/THE WASHINGTON POST
Eleanor Beattie, 92, and her husband paid a man last year to repair their Silver Spring roof. Their son said no repairs were made.
INSIDE WORLD CUP 2 THE NATION
Netherlands, 3-2 The Dutch advance to the final over Uruguay. D1
Germany vs. Spain Today, 2:30p.m., ESPN
BUSINESS NEWS..............A9 CLASSIFIEDS .....................F1 COMICS ..........................C7-8
EDITORIALS/LETTERS...A14 FED PAGE.........................A13 GOING OUT GUIDE............C3
LOTTERIES.........................B4 MOVIES..............................C5 OBITUARIES...................B7-9
A low-key royal visit
THE FEDERAL WORKER
Queen Elizabeth II didn’t intend to make a splash in New York, but the quiet reception reflects a generational shift regarding the monarchy. A3
STYLE The ‘fatshionistas’ have arrived Full Figured Fashion Week makes the statement that beautiful clothes don’t stop at size 4. C1
STOCKS............................A10 TELEVISION.......................C6 WORLD NEWS...................A6
Printed using recycled fiber
You’ve heard of Jack Bauer But how about Jack Downey? He and fellow agent Dick Fecteau starred in a real-life drama, now a documentary being shown to a new CIA generation. B3
DAILY CODE Details, B2
375 7 2 FOOD
Chop, chop Washington chefs have created a mess of tempting no-cook summer slaws — and they’re sharing their recipes. E1
1
getting caught and a high chance of getting into a lot of money,” said Kathleen Quinn, executive director of the National Adult Protective Services Association. Virginia’s Adult Protective Ser- vices workers reported 756 cases of financial exploitation in the fis- cal year that ended in June 2009, reflecting a steady rise since 2001, when there were 373.
ty, 73 cases of financial exploita- tion were referred to the county’s Adult Protective Services in fiscal 2009, compared with 47 in 2005 and 33 in 2000. “These referrals represent the tip of the iceberg,” said Bonnie Klem, chief of Montgomery’s Adult Protective Services investi- gations. “Many more cases go un- reported.”
Senior citizens lose at least
$2.6 billion a year to thieves, many of whom are in their own families, according to a study last year by the MetLife Mature Mar- ket Institute. And that estimate is conservative, MetLife says, given the schemes left unreported. As the nation ages, the number
of targets increases. By 2030, the United States will be home to 34 million people older than 75.
scams continued on A8
The Washington Post Year 133, No. 214
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