NEW YORK, June 7, 2007

The Strange Case Of Coconut Road

The Skinny: Alaska Congressman Gets $10 Million "Earmark" For Road In Balmy Florida

  •  (CBS/AP)

  • Interactive Second In Command

    A closer look at Vice President Dick Cheney's career and his much-publicized health problems.

  • Interactive Domestic Surveillance

    The debate over the Bush administration's controversial wiretapping program.

(CBS)  The Skinny is Joel Roberts' take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

Why would an Alaska congressman care about a road-building project in Florida?

Well, he might if a Florida real-estate developer helped him raise $40,000 just days before the congressman introduced a measure that includes a $10 million "earmark" for the project.

According to The New York Times, the funding for a program to upgrade a stretch of pavement "that touches five golf clubs" along Coconut Road near Fort Myers, Fla., "appeared mysteriously in a 2006 transportation bill written by Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska."

Days earlier, a real estate developer who owns "as much as 40,000 acres" along the road helped organize a fund-raiser for Young at a Florida hotel.
While it's "no secret that campaign contributions sometimes lead to lucrative official favors," the Times says, rarely are the tradeoffs "quite as obvious as in the twisted case of Coconut Road."

It's not the first controversy for Young, who drew attention last year for steering "more than $200 million to a so-called bridge to nowhere reaching 80 people on Gravina Island, Alaska."

He's also among the biggest recipients of campaign donations from an Alaskan oil company at the center of a corruption scandal that has rattled the state's Republican Party. And one of his top aides has pleaded guilty to bribery charges involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that veteran Alaska GOP Sen. Ted Stevens, who was famous for bringing home earmarks during his tenure as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, disclosed that the FBI has "asked him to preserve records as part of a widening investigation into Alaskan political corruption."


Dick Cheney And Domestic Wiretapping

There were new details Thursday about the behind-the-scenes role Vice President Dick Cheney played in pushing for the administration's secret domestic surveillance program.

The Washington Post reports that Cheney clashed with senior Justice Department officials who questioned the legality of the eavesdropping program at a "high-level White House meeting" in March 2004 – and that he later blocked the promotion of a Justice lawyer who had raised objections to the program.

That according to former deputy attorney general James D. Comey, who told a Senate committee Wednesday that Cheney met with the Justice officials a day before top administration aides, including then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, tried to get ailing Attorney General John D. Ashcroft – who was recuperating from surgery in a hospital – to approve the program.

The Post says the disclosures suggest that the vice president was "more closely involved than previously known in a fierce internal battle over the legality of the warrantless surveillance program."

The Post and The New York Times also report that Comey said Cheney blocked the promotion of a Cheney subordinate, Patrick F. Philbin, because of his concerns about the legality of the wiretap program.

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Add a Comment See all 26 Comments
by prelgovisk June 9, 2007 12:23 PM EDT
Wasn't a Democrate found with a lot of $$$ in his fridge? Odd that his story is not in this article.

It would be interesting to see a list of HIS friends and who expected to share the loot.
Reply to this comment
by roxanna6 June 7, 2007 9:30 PM EDT
Thanks for reporting on *** Cheney, his corruption in regards to wiretapping and how he treats people when they do not go along with what he wants.

I believe this man will go down in History as one of the most silently corrupt Vice Presidents our country has ever known. He is a man, truly for the selling off America for greed and profit labeling it "Patriotism".
Reply to this comment
by bm6005 June 7, 2007 8:59 PM EDT
Guess we'll NEVER see that though.....too much fun going after republicans. Not that I maid all that much. The bias is just what gets to me.
Posted by infidel_us

Other than the die hard neo-con supporters here most people have been saying that all crooks should get a go TO jail free pass regardless of party affiliation. You seem to be heavy on the bias as I see your posts. Kind of hard to believe seeing that you've got a BSee degree. I personally support summary execution for all political crooks. Watch how fast the thievery stops after that. And prior to calling me a leftie/demo I'd volunteer to pull the trigger on Jefferson!
Reply to this comment
by bm6005 June 7, 2007 8:49 PM EDT
Why does anyone question why D.Cheney is called Darth Cheney?
Reply to this comment
by jn122736 June 7, 2007 5:16 PM EDT
This should not come as a shock to anyone: The oldest (and worst) problem with %u201Cear marks%u201D (pork) is that the congressmen who bring home the most pork receive the most vigorous support from the people of the state they represent.

It is next to impossible to rid congress of these guys because the only voters who can vote them out are those from their own state (the pork recipients).

But even considering that, the voters in Alaska should get rid of Representative Don Young.
His %u201Cbridge to nowhere%u201D pork, only benefited 80 people in Alaska, and this particular bill doesn%u2019t benefit Alaskans period.

That is not only outrageous; it should be made Illegal, if it isn%u2019t already.

Isn%u2019t Jefferson facing charges for soliciting bribes-donations from contributors?
Reply to this comment
by shingles1 June 7, 2007 4:56 PM EDT
"Investigate Pelosi, Reid, and Feinstein....they have enough dirty deals between them to keep an AG busy for years."

Oh, that's right, those fake "dirty deals" that right wing sites have been pushing - yet never go anywhere because there's nothing there.

You do understand that there's a difference between SAYING someone's corrupt and actually having EVIDENCE that PROVES that someone is corrupt, right? Probably not. And, while both parties have their hands in the cookie jar, the modern Republican Party has taken thuggish bribery and graft to a totally new level. Republicans win hands down. We're #1! We're #1!

But don't let words like EVIDENCE or FACTS get in the way of your blind partisan bias.
Reply to this comment
by infidel_us June 7, 2007 4:32 PM EDT
Investigate Pelosi, Reid, and Feinstein....they have enough dirty deals between them to keep an AG busy for years.

Guess we'll NEVER see that though.....too much fun going after republicans. Not that I maid all that much. The bias is just what gets to me.
Reply to this comment
by gkc99 June 7, 2007 4:15 PM EDT
The trolls are all over on the Showbuzz commenting on Paris Hilton's release from jail
Reply to this comment
by donnie900 June 7, 2007 4:14 PM EDT
Wheels and deals. There's something creepy about big wig business men calling tax payer money "an investment".
Reply to this comment
by antoniof123 June 7, 2007 4:11 PM EDT
Cheney is a business man and this is what big business does. Don't be shocked this is the way big business has always operated.
Reply to this comment
by swtgapch June 7, 2007 4:00 PM EDT
There is not one politician out there who gives a *** about the average american citizen. All they care about are the people who have the money to make them richer than they already are.
Reply to this comment
by terrapin78 June 7, 2007 3:56 PM EDT
We need IMPEACHMENT more than ever.

IMPEACH NOW!!!

AVOID THE POST-ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RUSH!!!!
Reply to this comment
by swtgapch June 7, 2007 3:56 PM EDT
Who ever said politicians were honest, upstanding, law-abiding citizens? That person need to take off the blinders!
Reply to this comment
by drputt45 June 7, 2007 3:54 PM EDT
Not all crooks are politicians, but it appears that all politicians are crooks.

It is tough to find someone to vote for. We are not given a choice of the many honest people that would do the best job for us. We are offered a few choices that have first been sorted out by the folks with all the money. So we wind up voting for the lesser of the evils and then living with that until the next election and it starts all over again.

It doesn't matter which party, they are all the same and whoever is in power is subject to criticism from the ones that want to be in power.

Good luck to us all.
Reply to this comment
by gkc99 June 7, 2007 3:41 PM EDT
"Cheney blocked the promotion of a Cheney subordinate, Patrick F. Philbin, because of his concerns about the legality of the wiretap program. "

There is no depth to which Darth Chickenshithawk won't sink to punish anyone who dares to stand in the way of his fascist takeover of the USA.

Unreported: Does Darthie require all his subordinates to keep a picture of the "Glorious Vice-Decider" prominantly displayed on their desks and in their home living rooms?
Reply to this comment
by gunnerv1 June 7, 2007 3:33 PM EDT
I don't care from what ever party you belong to: Power and money corrupt, period!
Reply to this comment
by oleander8 June 7, 2007 3:30 PM EDT
The day bush was appointed president I told my republican friends that bush would be a public face only - cheney would be running the country.
Reply to this comment
by rafterman1 June 7, 2007 3:23 PM EDT
===I'm very curious to know what Mudrose, Perp5, realpatriot?, lars and the other obviously missing Repug trolls would have to say about all this ..... this is a 2 for 1 special right here.===

They can spin it all they want, go after Dems for their own earmarks and whatever else they want to sidestep the issue with. But it is a fact that, while both political parties have had their bouts of big scandal and corruption over history, currently, over the last 10-12 years, it is Republicans that have been more scandalous by far.

When the Dems had a bunch of scandals in the 80's, they got kicked out in 1994. So Mudrose, Perp5, realpatriot?, lars, et al, what do YOU think should be done about the Republican turn at the scandal trough now? If fair's fair, then even more Repubs should be kicked out, no?

I eagerly await responses - r5esponses other than "well, Pelosi..."
Reply to this comment
by drinuk June 7, 2007 2:42 PM EDT
Cheney has absolutely no limits in his ambition to subvert democracy. What is unbelievable is that no one has lifted a finger to call a halt to this obvious and blatant behaviour. 300 million people simply sit on their hands and do nothing. A great nation watches and by doing nothing condone's the evil practices, seriously effecting the lives of the people. Shame on you America.
Reply to this comment
by muzzlebush June 7, 2007 2:41 PM EDT
I have to agree with drummer94. The really sad part of this is that this is what we've come to expect from our government.
It's not only time for change in those we elect, it's time for a change in what we expect from them.
Maybe a few years of anti-incumbent voting will succeed in disinfecting the Capitol and the White House
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