Friday Links - Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Here's a long-weekend's worth of links. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend, and please take time to think about the women and men in uniform across the globe, and what you can do to bring them home.

• Although there is disappointment among progressives about the Iraq supplemental bill that gave Bush his money for Iraq without any accountability, America's lowest-paid workers did win a $2.10 raise Thursday, as Congress approved the first increase in the federal minimum wage in almost a decade. So congratulations to the Democrats, without whom this progress would not have happened.

• The House approved legislation Wedneday to upgrade and expand the nation's network of health care and benefit outreach centers for military veterans, one of seven veteran-related bills that the House approved to provide millions more dollars in benefits. Republicans and everyone with a yellow ribbon on your SUV (redundant, I know) take note: This is what's actually called supporting the troops.

• New Jersey senators pushed forward a plan that would make New Jersey the third state offering paid leave for family members needing time off work to care for a sick relative or new child, but not without protests from (who else) businesses.

• NYT Editorial: With their credibility on the line, House Democrats did the right thing yesterday by mandating disclosure of the lobbying industry’s power to purchase Capitol influence with richly bundled campaign donations to pliable lawmakers.

• On April 12, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the OPEN Government Act, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The bill would improve the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by reducing delays in releasing government records requested under FOIA by creating incentives for public officials to comply with the law. The House passed a similar measure earlier this year but the bill was blocked from reaching the Senate floor for a vote yesterday. A Republican senator called the Minority Leader's office and objected to a vote on the bill, but asked for anonymity and did not publicly state the reason for the hold. This is not the first time a secret hold has been used to block open government legislation from reaching the floor. In Aug. 2006, GOP Senator Ted Stevens (AK) put a hold on a bill to create a searchable public database of all federal grants and contracts. So we ask: What do Republicans have to hide? Why are they against open government?

• A biting editorial from the Christian Science Monitor on NBA star Lebron James's refusal to sign a letter condemning China's activities in Darfur. "James said he didn't have enough information about the issue to take a stand. We can choose to take him at his word, of course – or we can follow the money. James has a $90 million deal with Nike, which has huge business interests in China."

• Following complaints by a government watchdog group, the Air Force and the Army partially distanced themselves yesterday from a three-day evangelical Christian event this weekend at a Georgia theme park.

• Congressional investigators yesterday disclosed that Sallie Mae executives met with Bush administration budget officials in December, less than two months before the company chairman sold $18.3 million of Sallie Mae stock. Three days after the sale, President Bush unveiled a budget that included unexpectedly large cuts to lending subsidies, after which the company's shares plummeted. Insider trading scandal, anyone?

• Surprise, surprise. Lower income consumers are most hurt by rising fuel prices.

• Manufacturing industry lobbyist Michael Baroody withdrew his nomination to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission Wednesday amid strong opposition from some Senate Democrats and criticism from consumer groups.

• Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.