Chart Update: March 1

Ball	Status
Plame Investigation	2 possible indictments being handed down, both from VP's office.  This seems to be coming out in drips and drabs.   FEB 23 UPDATE: Apparently, Robert Novak was asked not to publish Plame’s name and was told that she was an undercover operative, but he did it anyway.   MARCH 1 UPDATE: A Democratic attempt to start a House investigation into the Plame affair was thwarted last week. Here's some information from the Voice of America: Congressional aides say majority Republicans are determined to prevent the CIA leak affair from being used, any more than it already has, as an election year issue by Democrats against President Bush. However, with a number of administration officials and aides, including an assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney, already interviewed or giving testimony, and former CIA analysts urging a separate congressional probe, Democrats have plenty of fuel with which to keep the issue burning in coming months.
Halliburton/Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR): Iraq related	Some news.  First they were paid too much for gas, and they're reimbursing us (and a criminal probe has been launched by DOD).  Then KBR sold way too much moldy food to the government and is reimbursing us.   FEB 23 UPDATE PART 1:  The overcharge for the gasoline imports seems to trace back to the Kuwaiti government.  The Kuwaiti parliament has begun an investigation.   FEB 23 UPDATE PART 2: According to Reuters, the Pentagon has confirmed that it, too, has launched a criminal investigation: The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of the Inspector General's office, is investigating allegations on the part of KBR of fraud, including the potential overpricing of fuel delivered to Baghdad by a KBR subcontractor," said a Pentagon spokeswoman. MARCH 1 UPDATE: After the Wall Street Journal reported that Kellogg Brown & Root's cost control system is antiquated, Henry Waxman and John Dingell have requested that Halliburton turn over an internal KBR report that was used as the basis for the WSJ article (from the Houston Chronicle).
Halliburton: Nigerian bribery	FEB 23 UPDATE: Nigeria, the French and the U.S. are all investigating this now.  I've combined all this under one roof.
Halliburton: Did I mention Iran?	Oh yeah.  They might be using offshore companies to make deals with Iran, in contravention of US law. FEB. 11 UPDATE: Treasury is apparently looking into the matter. FEB. 23 UPDATE: So is the Senate Finance Committee.
Energy Taskforce: Cheney and Scalia (sittin’ in a tree)	First we find out the two are snuggling hunting together.  Now the LA Times reports that Cheney can’t get it for free.  This one should resolve soon, since the Supremes will hear the case this month (February).   FEB. 23 UPDATE: The first litigant in the case has (finally) weighed in: The Sierra Club has asked Scalia to recuse himself.   MAR. 1 UPDATE: The Supremes have referred the recusal request from Sierra Club to Scalia. Apparently, if Scalia recuses himself, the Court might end up in a 4-4 tie, which would go against Cheney, since the Federal court ruled against him.
Energy Taskforce: document release	Headed for Supreme Court.  Decision expected in June.   MAR. 1 UPDATE: Oral arguments expected in April.
Senate staff stealing Dems’ files	Frist “resigned” someone, hoping to shut everyone up.  The resigned claims that nothing illegal went on; there are counterclaims that something illegal DID go on.   FEB. 23 UPDATE: This is getting big.  Thousands of documents over a period of a year +.  A decision on whether there was anything illegal going on is expected any day now.   MAR. 1 UPDATE: Apparently the probe's findings are due today.
9/11 commission	Recently given a couple of extra months, which puts the report end-of-July and the leaks June-ish.   FEB. 23 UPDATE: Commission wants to know why it can’t see documents that were given to Bob Woodward.  Good question.   MAR. 1 UPDATE: It was a comic week for this item. B*** claimed he wanted to give the commission extra time. Hastert declined. Then a couple of Senators decided that they would hold up a highway bill if Hastert didn't change up his mind. Hastert changed up his mind. I'm sure B*** is relieved (ahem).
Iraqi intelligence commission: American	Give it a couple of weeks to see what’s going to be investigated and who's going to be doing the investigating.   UPDATE: Never mind about the American commission on intelligence failures. It's being run by one of Clinton's pursuers, and it won't be looking into how intelligence was used, just into how it was gathered.   FEB 13 UPDATE: Never mind the never mind. Sure, the President's panel isn't going to do shit, but now it looks like the Senate Intelligence Committee, already looking at intelligence failures, is also going to look into how the Administration used the intelligence it received.   FEB. 23 UPDATE: Apparently we’re still giving money to the Iraqi National Congress, the group of hucksters that convinced the Administration to go to war in the first place.
Iraqi intelligence commission: British	Probably won’t be a huge issue here, but might put some extra wobble on the American commission’s ball.
Bush’s National Guard records	Will they release the full set?  Is this burning itself out too early?  Probably, but there is a book coming out…check back in March.   FEB. 23 UPDATE: Petered out for now, without any new information.
Nick Smith Medicare bribe	House Dems considering starting a formal investigation.  Could lead to bribery charges.   MAR. 1 UPDATE: House Ethics Committee is investigating.
Iraqi occupation	Lest we forget…everyone seems to agree that the timetable set out by the Administration is bogus and will have to slip.  The question is, how far?  Bush needs his “Occupation Accomplished” photo op.  Will he get it?
NEW! Tom DeLay / Texans for a Republican Majority investigation	Grand jury investigating money laundering to a PAC DeLay founded.
Richard Perle (okay, he’s deserving of his own list, as is Cheney, but there are only 24 hours in a day)	Being investigated by Hollinger about non-disclosure of bonuses.  Currently an internal review, but this has SEC ramifications as well.   Aw, shucks. Perle either resigned or was fired from the Defense Policy Board, so I guess I'm going to drop him from this list.
NEW! Pentagon document discussing the dangers of global warming	The British newspaper The Observer did an article about this last week, in which they said that "scientists disillusioned with Bush's stance are threatening to make sure Kerry uses the Pentagon report in his campaign."
NEW! NSC document directing the NSC to work with Cheney's Energy Taskforce in setting policy between "the review of operational policies towards rogue states" and "actions regarding the capture of new and existing oil and gas fields."	As reported by The New Yorker; when the article's author was on NPR's Fresh Air, she indicated that the report might find its way into Democratic hands.