Democracy Now! Ju;y 01, 2002

As the Bush administration steps up its efforts to force Arafat from office, a conversation with Palestinian National Council Member Hanan Ashrawi. We'll also speak with the father of a 14-year old girl who was murdered in a 1997 suicide bombing. And then, the Republican National Committee battles the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, subpoenaing a wide range Democratic-leaning interest groups for detailed financial records and internal communications. NARAL president Kate Michelman calls it a "political strip-search." We'll have a discussion. 9:01-9:06 Headlines: 9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break 9:07-9:20 AS WASHINGTON STEPS UP ITS EFFORTS TO FORCE ARAFAT FROM OFFICE, A CONVERSATION WITH PALESTINIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER HANAN ASHRAWI AND PEACE ACTIVIST RAMI ELHANAN, WHOSE DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN A 1997 SUICIDE BOMBING The Bush Administration continued this weekend to call for Yasser Arafat's removal from office, warning Palestinians they would cloud their prospects for nationhood if they re-elected Arafat in January elections. Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington is no longer talking to the Palestinian leader. Asked if the United States would resume contacts with Arafat, Powell said: ``I don't expect so.'' Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice appeared on NBC's ''Meet the Press'' to say Washington would end any financial support of Arafat's Palestinian Authority if he remains in power. She said: ''We are not trying to pick the leadership of the Palestinian people, but we are saying that there are consequences." Rice and Powell's statements followed just days after President Bush delivered a speech calling for Arafat's removal from office. Bush did not mention Arafat by name in the speech but said the Palestinians must have new and different leaders before a process could begin that would lead to a state, possibly within three years. The United States appears nearly alone internationally in its position that Arafat must go. Guest: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Legislative Council, speaking from her home in Ramallah, where she is under curfew. Contact: www.pal-plc.org Guest: Rami Elhanan, father of Smadar Elhanan, who was murdered by a suicide bomber on September 4, 1997. She was 14 years old. Rami Elhanan was the lead speaker at a Peace Now rally last week. Contact: Parents' Circle: ww.parentscircle.israel.net/daysofclosure.shtml The Bereaved Families' Forum: ww.mideastweb.org/bereaved_Families_Forum.htm Links: www.webactive.com/pacifica/exile/dn20011219.html 9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break 9:21-9:40 HANAN ASHRAWI CONT'D 9:40-9:41 One Minute Music Break 9:41-9:58 THE RNC BATTLES THE MCCAIN-FEINGOLD CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW, SUBPOENAING DEMOCRATIC-LEANING INTEREST GROUPS FOR DETAILED FINANCIAL RECORDS The Republican National Committee has issued subpoenas to a wide range of Democratic-leaning groups, including the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), the National Education Association, and the feminist group EMILY'S List, as the newest front in the battle to defeat the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. In what NARAL president Kate Michelman describes as "a political strip search" that would provide the Republican Party with sensitive political information, the subpoenas demand the groups turn over detailed financial records, internal communications and strategic political documents. They also ask them to detail whether any of their activities "corrupt or appear to corrupt any federal candidate or federal office holder." The RNC filed the lawsuit along with a number of state and local Republican parties shortly after President Bush signed the McCain-Feingold bill in the wake of the Enron scandal in March. The lawsuit claims the new bill violates the equal protection laws of the Constitution. It seeks to prove that the campaign finance law continues to allow special-interest groups to raise "soft money" while forbidding national parties to do so. Since Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold fist introduced the campaign finance reform bill in January 1999, the bill has suffered several defeats in Congress until it was passed this spring. This is the most aggressive step yet taken against the bill hailed by many as the beginning of the reform of the electoral process. Today we will are joined by three people to talk about the subpoenas and campaign finance reform. Guest: Kate Michelman, President, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) Contact: www.naral.org Guest: Larry Noble, Executive Director, Center for Responsive Politics Contact: www.opensecrets.org Guest: Dan Ronayne, spokesperson, Republican National Committee Contact: www.rnc.org 9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits