Inmates Suffering from Mental Health Illness Await Treatment
By Cassidy Gardner
On April 7, Bruce Flatt was arrested on the charge of misdemeanor assault after he hit the manager of the Steptoe Friendly Mart with a stick of beef jerky. A month later he remains under 23-hour lockdown in the Whitman County Jail.
Flatt, 41-years-old, suffers from schizophrenia with a bipolar component. Prior to his arrest Flatt had been living in an abandoned gas station in Steptoe. He was not taking his prescribed medication when the incident occurred.
“My doctor that was taking care of me sent me a letter saying he retired and my family won’t talk to me anymore. I can’t get to the doctor, can’t get pills, so I keep hearing the voices,” Flatt said.
Captain Bob Ingalls, the Whitman County Jail Administrator, said there is no treatment for mental health at his disposal and he keeps Flatt separate from other inmates who have day-room privileges because he does not want Flatt to irritate them.
“I want to put a lid on any possible problems so I keep the mental health patients separate. We used to be able to send people with mental health problems straight to Eastern State Hospital but now the beds are few and far between and we can be waiting five to six weeks,” Ingalls said.
Flatt said he feels his mental illness is further aggravated since being put in jail.
“All the time I’m just thinking of getting my feet chopped off and I have this haunting voice saying they are going to put me in prison for the rest of my life,” Flatt said.
In 2008 the budget at the jail for professional medical services was $35,000. The majority of the funding goes to paying for jail doctor visits, county nurse visits, and for dental work.
“It’s actually a good thing that Bruce [Flatt] was picked up because now he can get proper treatment,” Ingalls said.
He is hoping that Flatt will be moved to Paul’s Place, an adult family home in Colfax.
“I get state checks but the Bank of Whitman said I can’t come there anymore,” Flatt said.
With tears in his eyes Flatt explains that he always aspired to be like his father and that all of his siblings have earned college degrees.
“My dad never had any of these problems. I just can’t do anything and I have never done anything like I did that day [at Steptoe Friendly Mart]. I was just upset because I had a big fight with my mom on the phone,” Flatt said.
Captain Ingalls said mental health is a major issue across the state and is often ignored when the state is making budget decisions.
In Spokane, a more metropolitan area of Eastern Washington, there have been major changes made in the way the Spokane County Jail staff treats inmates with mental health problems.
Three years ago the Spokane County Jail hired a four-person mental health staff and started providing all of their services in-house, meaning that psych-evaluations and medical prescriptions were written by the doctor employed by the jail.
Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richards said he thinks psychotropic medications are more accurately dispensed now.
“We were pill pushers before and people were committing minor crimes because jail was the only comfortable place they knew. When they got there they were prescribed sleep meds and we were giving them this crutch,” Richards said.
The doctor at the Spokane County Jail no longer prescribes sleep medication except in extreme cases.
The reform was prompted by excessive spending; Spokane County was paying Eastern State Hospital approximately $1 million a year to house inmates.
“The jail was spending five times what they should have been spending. But now we have designed a safe and more ethical housing environment for inmates with mental illness,” Richards said.
The amount spent on psychotropics has declined by 5% since the mental health reform was implemented at the Spokane County Jail. In 2006 the jail spent approximately $780,000 on psychotropics compared to the $637,000 they spent in 2008.
Brian H. Struthers, an inmate at Spokane County Jail, said his 12 month stay has been difficult because he used to receive counseling and he misses talking to a professional.
Struthers, 33-years-old, was arrested for arson after he started a fire at the adult family home he was living in.
“They give you medication and if you say you need to talk to someone they talk to you for about two seconds,” Struthers said.
Lieutenant Dan Veloski, the head of the Spokane Jail Division-Medical Services Unit, said mental health is a priority within the jail and right now he is in the process of getting his mental health staff classified as civil service so their positions are secure.
The Spokane County Jail Mental Health Unit is the only unit in a Washington jail that is registered through Washington State as a mental health provider.
“Here we try to make mental health a priority, but on a state level I worry about whether it is considered important,” Veloski said.
In Whitman County Bruce Flatt still awaits placement in an adult family home.
“I feel like I’m on a corridor to hell,” Flatt said.
Sources:
Bob Ingalls: (509) 397-6266
Bruce Flatt: (509) 397-6266
Dan Veloski: (509) 477-2698
Brian H. Struthers: (509) 326-7806
Mark Richards: (509)-251-3643
Monday, May 4, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Inmates Suffering from Mental Health Illness Await Treatment
By Cassidy Gardner
On April 7, Bruce Flatt was arrested and booked on misdemeanor assault charges, after he hit the manager of the Steptoe Friendly Mart with a stick of beef jerky, a month later he remains under 23-hour lockdown in the Whitman County Jail.
Flatt, 41-years-old, suffers from schizophrenia with a bipolar component. The year prior to his arrest Flatt had been living in an abandoned gas station in Steptoe. He was not taking his prescribed medicine when the incident occurred.
“My doctor that was taking care of me sent me a letter saying he retired and my family won’t talk to me anymore. I can’t get to the doctor, can’t get pills, so I keep hearing the voices,” Flatt said.
Captain Bob Ingalls, the Whitman County Jail Administrator, said there is no treatment for mental health at his disposal and he keeps Flatt separate from other inmates who have day-room privileges because he does not want Flatt to irritate them.
“I want to put a lid on any possible problems, so I keep the mental health patients separate. We use to be able to send people with mental health problems straight to Eastern State Hospital, but now the beds are few and far between and we can be waiting for between five to six weeks,” Ingalls said.
Flatt said he feels his mental illness is further aggravated since being put in jail.
“All the time I’m just thinking of getting my feet chopped off and I have this haunting voice saying they are going to put me in prison for the rest of my life,” Flatt said.
In 2008 the budget at the jail for professional medical services was $35,000. The majority of the funding goes to paying for jail doctor visits, county nurse visits and for dental work.
“It’s actually a good thing that Bruce was picked up because now he can get proper treatment,” Ingalls said.
He is hoping that Flatt will be moved to Paul’s Place, an adult family home in Colfax.
“I get state checks but the Bank of Whitman said I can’t come there anymore and the check bothers me because it has [printed] bars on it,” Flatt said.
With tears in his eyes Flatt explains that he always aspired to be like his father and that all of his siblings have earned college degrees.
“My dad never had any of these problems. I just can’t do anything and I have never done anything like I did that day [at Steptoe Friendly Mart], I was just upset because I had a big fight with my mom on the phone,” Flatt said.
Captain Ingalls said mental health is a major issue across the state and is often ignored when the state is making budget decisions.
In Spokane, a more metropolitan area of Eastern Washington, there have been major changes made in how the County Jail treats inmates with mental health problems.
Three years ago the Spokane County Jail hired a four person mental health staff and started providing all of their services in-house, meaning that psych-evaluations and medical prescriptions were written by the doctor employed by the jail.
Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richards said he thinks psychotropic medications are more accurately dispersed now.
“We were pill pushers before and people were committing minor crimes because jail was the only comfortable place they knew. When they got there they were prescribed sleep meds and we were giving them this crutch,” Richards said.
The doctor at the Spokane County Jail no longer prescribes sleep medication, except in extreme cases.
The reform was prompted by excessive spending; Spokane County was paying Eastern State Hospital $1 million a year to house inmates.
“The jail was spending five times what they should have been spending. But now we have designed a safe and more ethical housing environment for inmates with mental illness,” Richards said.
The amount spent on psychotropics has declined by 5% since the mental health reform was implemented at the Spokane County Jail. In 2006 the jail spent approximately $780,000 on psychotropics, compared to the $637,000 they spent in 2008.
Brian H. Struthers, an inmate at Spokane Count Jail, said his 12 month stay has been difficult because he used to receive counseling and he misses talking to someone.
Struthers, 33-years-old, was arrested for arson after he started a fire at the adult family home he was living in.
Lieutenant Dan Veloski, the head of the Spokane Jail Division-Medical Services Unit, said mental health is a priority within the jail and right now he is in the process of getting his mental health staff classified as civil service, so their positions are secure.
The Mental Health Unit is the only unit in a Washington jail that is registered through Washington State as a mental health provider.
“Here we try to make mental health a priority, but on a state level I worry about whether it’s considered a priority,” Veloski said.
In Whitman County Bruce Flatt still awaits placement in an adult family home.
“I feel like I’m on a corridor to hell,” Flatt said.
Sources:
Bob Ingalls: (509) 397-6266
Bruce Flatt: (509) 397-6266
Dan Veloski: (509) 477-2698
Brian H. Struthers: (509) 326-7806
Mark Richards: (509)-251-3643
By Cassidy Gardner
On April 7, Bruce Flatt was arrested and booked on misdemeanor assault charges, after he hit the manager of the Steptoe Friendly Mart with a stick of beef jerky, a month later he remains under 23-hour lockdown in the Whitman County Jail.
Flatt, 41-years-old, suffers from schizophrenia with a bipolar component. The year prior to his arrest Flatt had been living in an abandoned gas station in Steptoe. He was not taking his prescribed medicine when the incident occurred.
“My doctor that was taking care of me sent me a letter saying he retired and my family won’t talk to me anymore. I can’t get to the doctor, can’t get pills, so I keep hearing the voices,” Flatt said.
Captain Bob Ingalls, the Whitman County Jail Administrator, said there is no treatment for mental health at his disposal and he keeps Flatt separate from other inmates who have day-room privileges because he does not want Flatt to irritate them.
“I want to put a lid on any possible problems, so I keep the mental health patients separate. We use to be able to send people with mental health problems straight to Eastern State Hospital, but now the beds are few and far between and we can be waiting for between five to six weeks,” Ingalls said.
Flatt said he feels his mental illness is further aggravated since being put in jail.
“All the time I’m just thinking of getting my feet chopped off and I have this haunting voice saying they are going to put me in prison for the rest of my life,” Flatt said.
In 2008 the budget at the jail for professional medical services was $35,000. The majority of the funding goes to paying for jail doctor visits, county nurse visits and for dental work.
“It’s actually a good thing that Bruce was picked up because now he can get proper treatment,” Ingalls said.
He is hoping that Flatt will be moved to Paul’s Place, an adult family home in Colfax.
“I get state checks but the Bank of Whitman said I can’t come there anymore and the check bothers me because it has [printed] bars on it,” Flatt said.
With tears in his eyes Flatt explains that he always aspired to be like his father and that all of his siblings have earned college degrees.
“My dad never had any of these problems. I just can’t do anything and I have never done anything like I did that day [at Steptoe Friendly Mart], I was just upset because I had a big fight with my mom on the phone,” Flatt said.
Captain Ingalls said mental health is a major issue across the state and is often ignored when the state is making budget decisions.
In Spokane, a more metropolitan area of Eastern Washington, there have been major changes made in how the County Jail treats inmates with mental health problems.
Three years ago the Spokane County Jail hired a four person mental health staff and started providing all of their services in-house, meaning that psych-evaluations and medical prescriptions were written by the doctor employed by the jail.
Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richards said he thinks psychotropic medications are more accurately dispersed now.
“We were pill pushers before and people were committing minor crimes because jail was the only comfortable place they knew. When they got there they were prescribed sleep meds and we were giving them this crutch,” Richards said.
The doctor at the Spokane County Jail no longer prescribes sleep medication, except in extreme cases.
The reform was prompted by excessive spending; Spokane County was paying Eastern State Hospital $1 million a year to house inmates.
“The jail was spending five times what they should have been spending. But now we have designed a safe and more ethical housing environment for inmates with mental illness,” Richards said.
The amount spent on psychotropics has declined by 5% since the mental health reform was implemented at the Spokane County Jail. In 2006 the jail spent approximately $780,000 on psychotropics, compared to the $637,000 they spent in 2008.
Brian H. Struthers, an inmate at Spokane Count Jail, said his 12 month stay has been difficult because he used to receive counseling and he misses talking to someone.
Struthers, 33-years-old, was arrested for arson after he started a fire at the adult family home he was living in.
Lieutenant Dan Veloski, the head of the Spokane Jail Division-Medical Services Unit, said mental health is a priority within the jail and right now he is in the process of getting his mental health staff classified as civil service, so their positions are secure.
The Mental Health Unit is the only unit in a Washington jail that is registered through Washington State as a mental health provider.
“Here we try to make mental health a priority, but on a state level I worry about whether it’s considered a priority,” Veloski said.
In Whitman County Bruce Flatt still awaits placement in an adult family home.
“I feel like I’m on a corridor to hell,” Flatt said.
Sources:
Bob Ingalls: (509) 397-6266
Bruce Flatt: (509) 397-6266
Dan Veloski: (509) 477-2698
Brian H. Struthers: (509) 326-7806
Mark Richards: (509)-251-3643
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Schieffer and Thomas are in a League of their Own
By Cassidy Gardner
At the annual Edward R. Murrow Symposium, held on Tuesday evening, Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer both emphasized the pertinent role newspapers and professional journalists play in maintaining a healthy democracy.
“American democracy as we know it cannot exist without access to an independent press,” Schieffer said.
Thomas was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Edward R. Murrow Award and Schieffer received the Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism Edward R. Murrow Award.
Thomas, who is commonly referred to as “The First Lady of the Press,” has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. She served as the White House correspondent for United Press International for 57 years.
Schieffer has covered all four major beats in the nation’s capital-the White House, Pentagon, State Department and Capitol Hill. He has been a reporter for 57 years and is in his fortieth year at CBS news. He currently hosts Face the Nation.
“It was great to hear all their anecdotes and get to know these two people on a more personal note. I watch Schieffer every week so to see more of his personality was amazing,” Marge Aftner of Lewiston, Idaho said.
The Murrow Symposium was held in Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Approximately 200 people attended the event.
“I am so surprised there are so few students here. These two people really interested me,” Kelsey Einig, a WSU senior majoring in communication, said.
Thomas said journalism is going through a period of adjustment and it is unclear how everything will pan out.
“Everyone with a laptop thinks they’re a journalist,” Thomas said.
She then emphasized the importance of ethical standards in the field of journalism.
“American journalists should return to the real mission- to follow the truth wherever it leads us,” Thomas said.
Schieffer said trained reporters with ethics and standards are needed now more than ever.
“The American press, for all its faults, the American people are the most informed people in the world,” Schieffer said.
Both expressed worry about the current economic problems newspapers are facing.
“I hope and pray newspapers are gonna’ survive…. The most important thing is getting the story and getting it right,” Schieffer said.
In the ending question and answer segment of the evening, Schieffer and Thomas, both agreed that curiosity is the key characteristic all great journalists possess.
“This [journalism] is a mission in life, to seek the truth wherever you can find it. Remember you cannot have a democracy, without an informed people,” Thomas said.
Questions for Schieffer and Thomas:
1. For Thomas: What were some of you most challenging moments as a journalist? Was it more difficult to earn respect in the Whitehouse as a woman?
2. Schieffer: What was your favorite Washington beat to cover? Why?
3. Thomas: Do you have a mentor or someone who really inspired you throughout your life?
Sources:
Kelsey Einig: 425-356-9543
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Background Information
Bob Scheiffer has worked as a television journalist for CBS since 1969. He has covered the White House, the Pentagon, The United States Department of State and Congress. Scheiffer also moderated a presidential debate between Bush and Kerry in 2004. He was a moderator on both Face the Nation and CBS Evening News. He retired from CBS news in August of 2006. Scheiffer and his family were considered very close with the Bush family. He also published a memoir title This Just In, covering his time as a beat reporter to broadcaster while at CBS news.
Helen Thomas has been a member of the White House Press Corps. for 57 years. She has also worked as the White House bureau chief for United Press International. Thomas has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. She as the first female member and president of The White House Correspondent Association and has authored four books. During JFK’s presidency she began the long standing tradition of ending all presidential press conferences with “Thank you, Mr. President.” Towards the end of the Bush Administration this tradition was terminated, most likely due to Thomas’ open disdain toward President Bush. Currently she works for Hearst News Service where she writes a highly opinionated White House Column.
The Edward R. Murrow Symposium recognizes excellence in communication and connects WSU with industry icons.
Bob Scheiffer has worked as a television journalist for CBS since 1969. He has covered the White House, the Pentagon, The United States Department of State and Congress. Scheiffer also moderated a presidential debate between Bush and Kerry in 2004. He was a moderator on both Face the Nation and CBS Evening News. He retired from CBS news in August of 2006. Scheiffer and his family were considered very close with the Bush family. He also published a memoir title This Just In, covering his time as a beat reporter to broadcaster while at CBS news.
Helen Thomas has been a member of the White House Press Corps. for 57 years. She has also worked as the White House bureau chief for United Press International. Thomas has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. She as the first female member and president of The White House Correspondent Association and has authored four books. During JFK’s presidency she began the long standing tradition of ending all presidential press conferences with “Thank you, Mr. President.” Towards the end of the Bush Administration this tradition was terminated, most likely due to Thomas’ open disdain toward President Bush. Currently she works for Hearst News Service where she writes a highly opinionated White House Column.
The Edward R. Murrow Symposium recognizes excellence in communication and connects WSU with industry icons.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Hard Work Pays Off for Whitman County Commissioner
Whitman County Commissioner Pat O’Neill pulls up to the courthouse in a glossy pickup truck. He burls toward the front door wearing a camouflage shirt and blue jeans.
The 61 year old commissioner is serving his first term. He is the third Democratic commissioner elected in the last fifty years in Whitman County.
“I ain’t got a college degree. What I’ve got is the seat of my pants,” O’Neill said.
During election season O’Neill spent his time riding on his four-wheeler from farm to farm. His campaign strategy consisted of knocking on doors and personally asking for people’s vote.
“If you want to win an election you’ve got to walk, pedal, and hit just about every damn house in the district,” O’Neill said.
Tom Forbes, editor of the conservative blog Red County Whitman County, thinks O’Neill’s opponent Jerry Finch lost the election due to a lack of campaigning and a history of politically incorrect remarks. He had served as county commissioner the previous eight years.
“My suspicion is that a lot of people in Whitman County voted straight Republican until they reached Jerry Finch,” Forbes said.
O’Neill has lived in the Pullman area for about two years. He moved to Pullman to be near his daughter. Prior to the move he had lived in Stanwood, Wash., on the west side of the state.
He worked as a mechanic for American Airlines for 35 years but always had a knack for politics and public affairs.
As a mechanic O’Neill was put on special assignment to organize labor in the state of Wash. and Ore. He was in charge of gaining support to protect American Airline’s route from Seattle to Tokyo. While on special assignment he collected 175,000 signatures. In 1988 O’Neill was awarded the Public Relations Award by American Airlines.
“It was unheard of for a mechanic to get the Public Relations Award. American Airlines sent me to Washington D.C. for the hearing about the route. Seeing Congress was the start of my love for politics,” O’Neill said.
Jane Guido, a member of Whitman County Democrats, said she was skeptical when she first heard O’Neill was running for commissioner.
“His grammar is terrible, but then you start talking to him and you realize he is naturally intelligent and he truly likes everyone,” Guido said.
O’Neill based his campaign on the slogan “Accountability, Transparency, and Cooperation.”
He has been in office approximately 60 days now. O’Neill is currently working on getting commission meetings broadcast. During his campaign O’Neill promised to make county business more accessible to the public.
“O’Neill is a colorful figure and so far the other two Republican commissioners are actually getting along with him,” Forbes said.
O’Neill said he plans on running for another term.
“I love the hell out of this job. I wish I had done it 20 years ago” he said.
Sources:
Pat O’Neill
509-397-5240
Tom Forbes
509-432-3142
Jane Guido
509-432-3565
Whitman County Commissioner Pat O’Neill pulls up to the courthouse in a glossy pickup truck. He burls toward the front door wearing a camouflage shirt and blue jeans.
The 61 year old commissioner is serving his first term. He is the third Democratic commissioner elected in the last fifty years in Whitman County.
“I ain’t got a college degree. What I’ve got is the seat of my pants,” O’Neill said.
During election season O’Neill spent his time riding on his four-wheeler from farm to farm. His campaign strategy consisted of knocking on doors and personally asking for people’s vote.
“If you want to win an election you’ve got to walk, pedal, and hit just about every damn house in the district,” O’Neill said.
Tom Forbes, editor of the conservative blog Red County Whitman County, thinks O’Neill’s opponent Jerry Finch lost the election due to a lack of campaigning and a history of politically incorrect remarks. He had served as county commissioner the previous eight years.
“My suspicion is that a lot of people in Whitman County voted straight Republican until they reached Jerry Finch,” Forbes said.
O’Neill has lived in the Pullman area for about two years. He moved to Pullman to be near his daughter. Prior to the move he had lived in Stanwood, Wash., on the west side of the state.
He worked as a mechanic for American Airlines for 35 years but always had a knack for politics and public affairs.
As a mechanic O’Neill was put on special assignment to organize labor in the state of Wash. and Ore. He was in charge of gaining support to protect American Airline’s route from Seattle to Tokyo. While on special assignment he collected 175,000 signatures. In 1988 O’Neill was awarded the Public Relations Award by American Airlines.
“It was unheard of for a mechanic to get the Public Relations Award. American Airlines sent me to Washington D.C. for the hearing about the route. Seeing Congress was the start of my love for politics,” O’Neill said.
Jane Guido, a member of Whitman County Democrats, said she was skeptical when she first heard O’Neill was running for commissioner.
“His grammar is terrible, but then you start talking to him and you realize he is naturally intelligent and he truly likes everyone,” Guido said.
O’Neill based his campaign on the slogan “Accountability, Transparency, and Cooperation.”
He has been in office approximately 60 days now. O’Neill is currently working on getting commission meetings broadcast. During his campaign O’Neill promised to make county business more accessible to the public.
“O’Neill is a colorful figure and so far the other two Republican commissioners are actually getting along with him,” Forbes said.
O’Neill said he plans on running for another term.
“I love the hell out of this job. I wish I had done it 20 years ago” he said.
Sources:
Pat O’Neill
509-397-5240
Tom Forbes
509-432-3142
Jane Guido
509-432-3565
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Profile Proposal
1. Profile Whitman County Commissioner Pat O'Neill. First Democratic commissioner in a really long time. Look at what led to this change, his positions on issues, what he is accomplishing in office and how his relations are with the community and other commissioners.
2. Profile Mary Verner, Spokane's Mayor.
3. Profile Pullman's Mayor Glen Johnson.
2. Profile Mary Verner, Spokane's Mayor.
3. Profile Pullman's Mayor Glen Johnson.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Secret Bush memos made public by Obama
Document says no warrant needed to search and seize terror suspects
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department on Monday released a long-secret legal document from 2001 in which the Bush administration claimed the military could search and seize terror suspects in the United States without warrants.
The legal memo was written about a month after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. It says constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure would not apply to terror suspects in the U.S., as long as the president or another high official authorized the action.
Even after the Bush administration rescinded that legal analysis, the Justice Department refused to release its contents, prompting a standoff with congressional Democrats.
The memo was one of nine released Monday by the Obama administration.
Another memo showed that, within two weeks of Sept. 11, the administration was contemplating ways to use wiretaps without getting warrants.
The author of the search and seizure memo, John Yoo, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In that memo, Yoo wrote that the president could treat terrorist suspects in the United States like an invading foreign army. For instance, he said, the military would not have to get a warrant to storm a building to prevent terrorists from detonating a bomb.
Yoo also suggested that the government could put new restrictions on the press and speech, without spelling out what those might be.
"First Amendment speech and press rights may also be subordinated to the overriding need to wage war successfully," Yoo wrote, adding later: "The current campaign against terrorism may require even broader exercises of federal power domestically."
While they were once important legal pillars of the U.S. fight against al-Qaida, some of the memos were withdrawn in the final days of the Bush administration.
In one of his first official acts as president, Barack Obama also signed an order negating the memos' claims until his administration could conduct a thorough review.
In a speech Monday, Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder said that too often in the past decade the fight against terrorism has been put in opposition to "our tradition of civil liberties."
That "has done us more harm than good," he declared. "I've often said that the test of a great nation is whether it will adhere to its core values not only when it is easy but when it is hard."
RNC chief Steele: Limbaugh is more a performer than GOP leader
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is taking issue with the notion that Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of the GOP, calling the conservative radio talk show host an entertainer whose comments can be ugly.
"Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do," RNC Chairman Michael Steele has said.
1 of 2 Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview with CNN that he, rather than Limbaugh, is "the de facto leader of the Republican Party."
And Steele described Limbaugh as a performer.
"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment," Steele said. "Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly."
Limbaugh fired back on his radio show Monday that the GOP leader appears to be supporting President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Why do you claim to lead the Republican Party when you seem obsessed with seeing to it President Obama succeeds?" Limbaugh said to Steele.
"I frankly am stunned that the chairman of the Republican National Committee endorses such an agenda. I have to conclude that he does because he attacks me for wanting it to fail," said Limbaugh.
Last month, Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland, was elected chairman of the RNC. He is the first African-American to lead the Republican Party. At the time of his election, Steele said that "Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do."
Steele made his latest comments regarding Limbaugh on CNN's "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," which aired this weekend. The Steele interview was taped before Limbaugh's appearance before the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual meeting of conservatives from across the nation.
He used his self-described "first national address," which ran more than an hour longer than his allotted 20 minutes, to accuse President Obama of inspiring fear in Americans in order to push a liberal agenda of "big government."
Limbaugh also backed up comments he made earlier this year in which he said he hoped Obama failed.
"What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and re-form this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" he said.
But a top Republican in Congress disagreed.
"I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now," House Republican Whip Eric Cantor said on ABC's "This Week." "We have such challenges. What we need to do is we need to put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."
RNC spokesman Alex Conant on Monday did not directly address Steele's comments about Limbaugh but pointed out the back-and-forth between the White House and the conservative radio host.
"Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats know they lose an argument with the Republican Party on substance, so they are building straw men to attack and distract," he said. "The feud between radio host Rush and Rahm makes great political theater, but it is a sideshow to the important work going on in Washington.
"RNC Chairman Michael Steele and elected Republicans are focused on fighting for reform and winning elections. The Democrats' problem is that the American people are growing skeptical of the massive government spending being pushed by congressional leaders like [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi," Conant said.
A spokesman for Limbaugh said the radio host did not have an immediate response, but added he would probably address Steele's comments Monday on his nationally syndicated radio program.
Document says no warrant needed to search and seize terror suspects
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department on Monday released a long-secret legal document from 2001 in which the Bush administration claimed the military could search and seize terror suspects in the United States without warrants.
The legal memo was written about a month after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. It says constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure would not apply to terror suspects in the U.S., as long as the president or another high official authorized the action.
Even after the Bush administration rescinded that legal analysis, the Justice Department refused to release its contents, prompting a standoff with congressional Democrats.
The memo was one of nine released Monday by the Obama administration.
Another memo showed that, within two weeks of Sept. 11, the administration was contemplating ways to use wiretaps without getting warrants.
The author of the search and seizure memo, John Yoo, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In that memo, Yoo wrote that the president could treat terrorist suspects in the United States like an invading foreign army. For instance, he said, the military would not have to get a warrant to storm a building to prevent terrorists from detonating a bomb.
Yoo also suggested that the government could put new restrictions on the press and speech, without spelling out what those might be.
"First Amendment speech and press rights may also be subordinated to the overriding need to wage war successfully," Yoo wrote, adding later: "The current campaign against terrorism may require even broader exercises of federal power domestically."
While they were once important legal pillars of the U.S. fight against al-Qaida, some of the memos were withdrawn in the final days of the Bush administration.
In one of his first official acts as president, Barack Obama also signed an order negating the memos' claims until his administration could conduct a thorough review.
In a speech Monday, Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder said that too often in the past decade the fight against terrorism has been put in opposition to "our tradition of civil liberties."
That "has done us more harm than good," he declared. "I've often said that the test of a great nation is whether it will adhere to its core values not only when it is easy but when it is hard."
RNC chief Steele: Limbaugh is more a performer than GOP leader
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is taking issue with the notion that Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of the GOP, calling the conservative radio talk show host an entertainer whose comments can be ugly.
"Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do," RNC Chairman Michael Steele has said.
1 of 2 Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview with CNN that he, rather than Limbaugh, is "the de facto leader of the Republican Party."
And Steele described Limbaugh as a performer.
"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment," Steele said. "Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly."
Limbaugh fired back on his radio show Monday that the GOP leader appears to be supporting President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Why do you claim to lead the Republican Party when you seem obsessed with seeing to it President Obama succeeds?" Limbaugh said to Steele.
"I frankly am stunned that the chairman of the Republican National Committee endorses such an agenda. I have to conclude that he does because he attacks me for wanting it to fail," said Limbaugh.
Last month, Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland, was elected chairman of the RNC. He is the first African-American to lead the Republican Party. At the time of his election, Steele said that "Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do."
Steele made his latest comments regarding Limbaugh on CNN's "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," which aired this weekend. The Steele interview was taped before Limbaugh's appearance before the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual meeting of conservatives from across the nation.
He used his self-described "first national address," which ran more than an hour longer than his allotted 20 minutes, to accuse President Obama of inspiring fear in Americans in order to push a liberal agenda of "big government."
Limbaugh also backed up comments he made earlier this year in which he said he hoped Obama failed.
"What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and re-form this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" he said.
But a top Republican in Congress disagreed.
"I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now," House Republican Whip Eric Cantor said on ABC's "This Week." "We have such challenges. What we need to do is we need to put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."
RNC spokesman Alex Conant on Monday did not directly address Steele's comments about Limbaugh but pointed out the back-and-forth between the White House and the conservative radio host.
"Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats know they lose an argument with the Republican Party on substance, so they are building straw men to attack and distract," he said. "The feud between radio host Rush and Rahm makes great political theater, but it is a sideshow to the important work going on in Washington.
"RNC Chairman Michael Steele and elected Republicans are focused on fighting for reform and winning elections. The Democrats' problem is that the American people are growing skeptical of the massive government spending being pushed by congressional leaders like [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi," Conant said.
A spokesman for Limbaugh said the radio host did not have an immediate response, but added he would probably address Steele's comments Monday on his nationally syndicated radio program.
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