Bayh, Lugar vote with majority to approve new CIA director
Indiana Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh sided with the majority Wednesday as the Senate voted 77-17 to approve President Bush's nomination of Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., as Central Intelligence Agency director.\nLugar was among 49 Republicans voting for confirmation, while Bayh joined 27 other Democrats in support of Bush's choice for the CIA post. All 17 votes against confirmation were by Democrats.
Ex-state senator drops out of mayoral primary in East Chicago\nEAST CHICAGO, Ind. -- Former state Sen. Lonnie Randolph said Wednesday he would not campaign for mayor in the special mayoral primary next month, choosing instead to support Democratic challenger George Pabey.\nRandolph, who finished a distant third in last year's primary, said he wanted to help oust incumbent Robert Pastrick, who has been mayor of the heavily Democratic city since 1971. He said the city has been riddled by corruption, pointing to criminal charges filed against City Council members and other city officials.\n"The best interest of the city right now is to get a new mayor," Randolph said. "If that means me giving up my dream, my ambition of being the mayor of this city, then so be it."\nA message seeking comment was left at Pastrick's office Wednesday.\nPastrick announced last week he would campaign to complete his ninth term, saying his administration had many projects and programs to complete.\nDespite not running a campaign, Randolph's name will stay on the ballot for the Oct. 26 election because he was on the original ballot in May 2003. He received 2,289 votes in that primary, far behind Pastrick's 3,928 votes and Pabey's 3,805 votes.\nThe state Supreme Court last month ordered a new mayoral election, saying that last year's primary was tainted with corruption by Pastrick's campaign.\nA judge has agreed to hold a hearing on Sept. 29 to consider whether he should appoint a special master to oversee next month's primary.\nPabey, a former City Council member and police chief, made the request of Special Judge Steven King because of last year's troubles.\nThat oversight would include not only supervision of the final vote tally, but also all election activities leading up to the vote -- including the absentee ballot application process.
Gun store robbers convicted of killing 73-year-old owner\nHAMMOND, Ind. -- A federal jury convicted two men of killing a 73-year-old gun store owner during a robbery, setting the stage for prosecutors to argue that they should face the death penalty.\nJurors deliberated for about 12 hours during three days before on Tuesday finding Keon Thomas, 29, and Styles D. Taylor, 24, both of Hammond, guilty of killing Frank Freund during a daylight robbery of Firearms Unlimited Gun Shop in March 2000.\nProsecutors asserted that Taylor and Thomas had planned for months to rob the store near downtown Hammond in order to steal guns to trade for drugs, and then bragged about the killing to boost their reputations for violence.\nDefense attorneys argued that prosecutors had no physical evidence, such as fingerprints or blood stains, linking Taylor and Thomas to the shooting. They also said prosecution witnesses were only testifying in exchange for lighter sentences.\nFreund had operated a business at the location for some 25 years, and his wife was also killed during a robbery at the gun shop several years earlier.\nThomas and Taylor were each convicted of six counts, including murder during the commission of a robbery, conspiracy to commit murder and robbery.\nFederal Judge Charles Norgle scheduled the start of testimony on whether Thomas and Taylor should face the death penalty for Monday.
