MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010


KLMNO


EZ SU POLITICS & THE NATION DIGEST TEXAS


Father charged in children’s deaths Three children were found


shot dead Sunday at a suburban Houston apartment building, and their father was charged with their deaths after surviving an apparent suicide attempt, au- thorities said. Muhammed Goher, 47, was


charged with three counts of cap- ital murder in the Sunday morn- ing killings, said Harris County Sheriff ’s Deputy JamieWagner. Goher was in stable condition


Sunday afternoon at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, where he was being treated for what inves- tigators say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound,Wagner said. Goher’s two daughters, ages 14


and 7, and a 12-year-old son were killed in the shootings, which were reported about 9:45 a.m. at an apartment near a food market three miles south of Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport. According to Harris County


court records,Goher faced a Sept. 27 court hearing in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Norma Goher.


—Associated Press CALIFORNIA


Missing members of sect found praying


The members of a breakaway religious sect were found praying at a Los Angeles County park Sunday, halting a search for the five adults and eight children who went missing after writing letters to family members saying goodbye. Deputies found the group at


11:55 a.m. Sunday at Jackie Rob- inson Park in Palmdale after get- ting a tip they might be there, county sheriff ’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said. He said all mem- bers are apparently safe. Officers had been searching a


wide swath of Southern Califor- nia since Saturday after family members found letters saying the group was awaiting an apocalyp- tic event and would soon see Jesus and their dead relatives in heaven. The group of El Salvadoran


immigrants described as “cult- like” by sheriff ’s officials, was led by Reyna Marisol Chicas, a 32- year-old woman from Palmdale in northeast Los Angeles county, sheriff ’s Capt.Mike Parker said. —Associated Press


Bike signed by Obama up for


auction: A custom-designed mo- torcycle signed by President Obama will be auctioned in Las Vegas to support military fami- lies. The Army chopper bearing Obama’s signature, along with autographs from Vice President Biden and national security ad- viser James L. Jones, will be auctioned by Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. on Sept. 23 to 25 to benefit the FisherHouse Founda- tion. The foundation builds hous- es around the country and do- nates them to the government to provide free housing to military families who have someone being treated at a military or Veterans Affairs hospital. Jones’s son, Jim Jones, donated the chopper for the auction.


Summit held over proposed


Islamic center: A summit of U.S. Muslim organizations is under- way in New York to address the outcry over a proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero. Spokes- manShaik Ubaid said theMuslim leadersmet Sunday in an effort to arrive at a united stand. The organizations also hope to ad- dress what they consider a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and rhet- oric that has accompanied the nationwide debate over the proj- ect. The private meetings are taking place at a hotel near JFK airport. The groups plan to hold a news conference Monday at the site.


—Associated Press


VIRGINIAHERITAGE BANK Building Prosperity Together


Money Market 1.00% APY** 24 Month No Penalty CD


1.75% APY*


Gainesville • Tysons Corner 888.375.3151


Fairfax • Chantilly www.vhbank.com Member


*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is current as of 9/20/10 and is subject to change.$5,000 minimum to open and one time penalty free withdrawal. This CD is subject to the seven day early withdrawal penalty.Additional with- drawals aresubject to standardpenalties. Feesmayreduce earnings. **Annual Percent- age Yield (APY) is current as of 9/20/10 and is subject to change.$25,000 minimum balance required to obtain the APY.Balances below 25K earn0.40%APY.Balances below$10,000 earn0.25% APY.Fees may reduce earnings.


email:moodresearch@mail.nih.gov (TTY: 1-866-411-1010)


http://patientinfo.nimh.nih.go Atendemos pacientes de habla hispana.


MySportsClubs.com • 800.301.1231 • 18 D.C. metro-area locations


*Requires a1-year membershipcommitment. Monthly dues arewaived from 9.1.10–9.30.10. Joining fee of $19.74 and $20.00 processing fee aredue upon enrollment. Sales tax whereapplicable. No cash value. Not transferable. Cannot be combined with any other offer.Offer expires9.30.10.


www.clinicaltrials.gov Protocol # 01-M-0254 Some in party see Pelosi as a liability


On the campaign trail, moreDemocrats keep


the speaker at a distance BY PAUL KANE


AND KAREN TUMULTY


mcgregor, texas – Little more than two years after she touted himforthevicepresidentialnomi- nation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cannot count on the sup- port ofRep.ChetEdwards. Edwards, a conservativeDemo-


crat trying to win an 11th term representing this area southwest ofDallas, said he has notmade up his mind whether he would sup- port Pelosi (D-Calif.) for another term as speaker, as he comes un- derfirebackhomeforhiscloseties to theDemocratic leader. “No, I’ve made no commit-


ments for speaker.Untilweseethe outcome of this election, I don’t evenknowwhowillberunningfor speaker,”Edwards saidinaninter- viewwhile campaigning Saturday in this small town of 5,000 south- west ofWaco. Democrats from a number of


states, including Texas, Ohio and North Carolina, are running away from Pelosi in a harsh political climate.Distancingone’s self from the speaker is nothing new for many Democrats, including Ed- wards, but the number of incum- bentsandthevolumeof theircriti- cism of the party House leader is larger than it has been in past election cycles — and the volume of their criticismis louder. More than a few Democrats


have said they are wavering on supporting Pelosi as their leader next year. At least four House Democrats are running ads stat- ing their opposition to the speak- er’s agenda, and one Democrat running in Tennessee called for her resignation. Edwards, ratedby independent


political analysts as one of the 10 Democratswhose seat ismost en- dangered, goes further thanmost of his colleagues. He openly cri- tiques his party’s entire agenda, saying its leaders “overreached” after the 2008 elections. Now that the Democratic ma-


jorityhangs inthebalance, so, too, does Pelosi’s hold on power. No Democrat is challengingPelosi for speaker — or minority leader, shouldtheparty losepower—and there is no plan underway for a leadership succession if she were to resignafter anelectoral rout. Publiclyandprivately,Pelosi re-


jects any talk of losing themajori- ty. Instead, she is focusing on a furious fundraising effort this fall to ensure that the very lawmakers openly running away from her have enough campaign cash to winreelection. “We are going towininNovem-


ber, so I don't even accept your first question or premise and all the rest of that,” she said at her weekly news conference, when asked about potentially giving up power. She added that criticism comeswith the territory, and that she does not fear the attacks from either end of the political spec- trum.


JOE RAYMOND/ASSOCIATED PRESS


Rep. Joe Donnelly (Ind.) is among theHouse Democrats who have tried to distance themselves from the administration and Pelosi. She has said she still expects Democrats to retain control of theHouse


“To tell you the honest truth, I


don’t really even have the time to pay attention to what they are saying about me,” she said. “We like the contest. So up the ante if youwish;we’regoingtobe victori- ous comeNovember.” Republicans have decided to


double down on their anti-Pelosi campaign, making her a central figure in their campaign this fall. Among the dozen TV ads released by the National Republican Con- gressional Committee over the weekend, eight prominently fea- tured Pelosi, even in two districts inMichiganandIllinoiswherethe Democratic candidates have nev- er servedwithher. By someDemocratic estimates, Republicans and their outside in-


DONATE YOUR CAR * 100% Tax Deductible * Free Pick-Up


Support www.HelpOurVeterans.org


Our Veterans 1-800-Help-Vets


B I P O L A R R E S E A R C H S T U D Y@N I M H C L I N I C A L C E N T E R , B E T H E S D A , M D


Living with Bipolar Illness or Depression?


Interested in Participating in Clinical Research?


The Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at NIMH is seeking people, over age 18, with bipolar illness or depression to participate in inpatient & outpatient studies at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD.


Physical evaluation, and research medications provided free of charge. Transportation reimbursement provided. Compensation is provided for participation in neuropsychological exams and brain imaging.


Call: 1-877-646-3644 $19.74 to join and rest of September is FREE.


terest-group allies will spend thi- fallmore than $20million on ad- vertisements attackingPelosi. This kind of effort has failed


many times, even in themost con- servative political terrain. In the spring of 2008, Republicans ran a campaign that focused on attack- ing Pelosi in special elections in Louisiana andMississippibut lost bothraces. In November 2008, Democrats


picked up more than 20 seats for the second straight election cycle despite a blizzard of ads tying Democrats to Pelosi. In May, Re- publicans lost another special


A3


MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES GOPHill staff members held signs last week inWashington at the launching of the party’s bus tour targetingHouse SpeakerNancy Pelosi.


election, in a Johnstown-based district in rural Pennsylvania, af- ter a campaign that featured a heavydose ofPelosi attacks. Despite those past failures by


the GOP, some Democrats go out of their way to separate them- selves from their vote for House speaker, which is always the first vote for eachnewCongress. “I don’t know if Nancy Pelosi is


running for speaker, and I don’t knowif somebody’s going to chal- lenge her. Who knows what’s go- ing to happen?” Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) said while campaigning inCoshocton,Ohio, inlateAugust. As a sign of his independence


fromPelosi, Space said hewears a blue Huntington’s disease aware- ness wristband, a gift froma con- stituent who lobbied him last March for more funding to fight the rare geneticdisorder. Space was hesitant to take the


giftat firstbecauseheopposedthe health-care bill, but the constitu- ent also opposed the complicated legislation. “Forme, it wasmean- ingful in the sense that, you can stillbe compassionate andvoteno onthis bill,” Space said. Along the southern coast of


North Carolina, Rep. Mike McIn- tyre (D, trying to win an eighth term, boasts to his voters that “I don’t work for Nancy Pelosi.” Vot- ers in western Pennsylvania see a similar appeal fromsupporters of Rep. Jason Altmire. “I like that Jason Altmire is not afraid to standuptothepresidentandNan- cy Pelosi,” constituents say in a


newad. Now Edwards has joined the


fray, launchinganadthisweekend that touted how he “stood up to” Pelosi and President Obama by voting against health-care legisla- tion. This is a sharp turn for Ed- wards, who spent the summer of 2008 basking in the glow of Pelo- si’s repeated proclamations that he should be Obama’s vice-presi- dentialpick. Representing the most Repub-


lican district held by a Democrat for 20 years — former president GeorgeW. Bush’s Crawford ranch is in Texas’s 17th Congressional District—Edwardswashailedtwo years ago by Pelosi as someone with “extraordinary credentials.” Obama vetted him as one of six vice presidential finalists, culled fromaninitial list of about 20, but now Edwards blames Pelosi and Obama for pushing such an ag- gressive agenda that it has endan- geredhis ownfuture. “The mistake has been just go-


ing too far and too fast, and it's been more than Americans can digest,” Edwards said in McGregor. “They’re good people from all persuasions, but I think some of the more liberal Demo- crats in Washington have a hard time understanding the everyday concerns of citizens inmoremod- erate to conservativedistricts.” kanep@washpost.com tumultyk@washpost.com


Kane reported fromWashington and Ohio, and Tumulty fromTexas.


celebs, remember mug shotsadd tenpounds.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64