May 18, 2002

New Jersey Nets player Kenyon Martin answers Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce's warning that no Nets player could defend him with silence and a smile as two teams head into Eastern Conference finals; photo (M)

Bush administration begins aggressive attack on Democrats in Congress as Pres Bush tries to contain political fury over warning he received last August that Osama bid Laden might be planning hijacking; White House spokesman Ari Fleischer takes direct aim at Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton, accusing her of trying to undermine administration in speech she made on Senate floor questioning how much Bush knew before Sept 11 attacks; Bush also makes his first, brief public comment on issue, saying of Washington that 'unfortunately, it's the kind of place where second-guessing has become second nature'; adds that 'had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to kill on that fateful morning, I would have done everything in my power to protect the American people'; administration finds itself on defensive once again, this time over 1999 report titled Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism that was prepared by Library of Congress for National Intelligence Agency that eerily foreshadowed Sept 11 attacks; report said 'Suicide bomber(s) belonging to Al Qaeda's Martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency or the White House'; report based its analysis largely on fact that in 1995, similar plot by group of Islamic militants based in Philippines who were linked to Al Qaeda was foiled; Bush's wife, Laura, issues statement from Budapest saying she finds it sad that people would play upon victims' families' emotions, or all Americans' emotions; House Republicans' campaign organization compiles and circulates list of votes against military or intelligence spending by Democrats who questioned Bush, while Republican Sen Mitch McConnell says Democrats are 'salivating at the opportunity to try to bring the president down'; Fleischer says White House learned of 1999 intelligence report only in morning and that neither Bush nor Condoleezza Rica, national security adviser, has seen it; Clinton says she is only seeking answers and information, and is not looking to point fingers or place blame on anybody; Fleischer singles out Sen Dianne Feinstein for comments made on CNN in July 2001 warning of 'major probability of a terrorist incident' within three months; says question arises, what did Democrats know and why weren't they talking to each other? Sen Joseph I Lieberman says political furor is more of reason for House and Senate to go forward with legislation sponsored by him and Sen John McCain to create independent commission to look into events leading up to Sept 11; photos (M)

Trainers of other horses in Preakness race vow their horses will provide more competition to Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem in Preakness, especially in first quarter mile of race (M),

Analysis of Mayor Michael R Bloomberg's effort to gain right to hire and fire not only chancellor of New York City school system but also 32 community school superintendents; says he has come to recognize that without control over 32 superintendents, his ability to run schools is limited; says he wants to abolish or restructure 32 elected community school boards, but State Assembly is not going along; says fact that abolishing school boards has become central obstacle to deal shows what lightning rod they are (M)

Mel Spillman, former probate clerk in San Antonio, Tex, pleads guilty to bilking nearly $5 million from estates of at least 122 people; Spillman, who faces up to 10 years in state prison, is to be sentenced June 4; office of Dist Atty Susan D Reed has seized his $400,000 home and put his five Ferraris up for sale; Spillman's lavish lifestyle detailed; photos (M)

Arthur Andersen's defense team has its best day in court since beginning of firm's trial, challenging chief prosecution witness David B Duncan on whether he intended to impede federal investigation through destruction of documents related to Enron Corp; Andersen's lead lawyer Rusty Hardin brings out information intended to persuade jury that Duncan never committed crime despite fact that he has already pleaded guilty to felony; photo (M)

Senate Democrats investigating collapse of Enron Corp are turning up heat on Bush administration, with Sen Joseph I Lieberman saying that he plans to subpoena administration about its contacts with company, which was once highly influential politically; Lieberman says he has grown frustrated that White House appears unwilling to turn over all information Congress had sought; White House counsel Alberto R Gonzales says administration has been gathering information to begin turning over to Lieberman later this month; Sen Fred Thompson, ranking Republican on Government Affairs Committee, says he hopes committee is not tempted to pursue fishing expedition; Justice Department task force leading criminal investigation into Enron is considering whether to expand its inquiry to include company's energy-trading practices; prosecutors have begun informally to gather information about Enron executives and traders who helped shape trading strategies in California and to assess whether those strategies might have violated any laws; photos (M)

Donald H Trump cancels $470 million sale of bonds for his casinos because investors are demanding such high interest rates; investors have been willing to accept much lower rates on bonds of other casinos, but Trump's threat last fall to default on debt of his Atlantic City casinos apparently left bitter taste; Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, which owns Trump Plaza, Taj Mahal and Marina properties, cancels bond sale; president Mark A Brown and Trump say they expect to proceed with bond sale later in year when casino's performance will merit better deal; photos (M)

Sarah Collins Rudolph, survivor of 1963 boming of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala, recalls scene as prosecutors rest their case in state murder trial of Bobby Frank Cherry, 71-year-old white supremacist who is believed to be last living suspect in historic act of evil; Teresa Francesa Stacy, Cherry's granddaughter, tells jury she heard her grandfather boast of bombing on front porch of his trailer in East Texas; photo (M)

Clyde Haberman NYC column notes that politicians in Albany are busy congratulating themselves for approving New York State budget, even though some fiscal monitors wonder how $89.6 billion budget will not collapse under its own weight, conservatives blink hard at spending increase of 6 percent, well above inflation rate, and liberals suspect fiscal gimmickry (M)

Christie Whitman, administrator of Environmental Protection Agency, is rarely seen in her home state of New Jersey, where she dominated politics and public policy for almost decade as governor; none of candidates in next month's Republican primary for United States Senate has asked for her endorsement, and she has shown little interest in claiming role of party elder; other New Jersey politicians, including Republicans, recall that she made end run around party leaders to governor's office, and preferred to let her staff members deal with other politicians; say her thin margins of victory in two gubernatorial races diminished reputation she acquired as giant-killer after she almost unseated Sen Bill Bradley; photo (M)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concludes that Allstate Insurance Co was illegally discriminating against about 650 life insurance agents even as it was negotiating to settle similar charges involving thousands of agents who sell auto and home insurance; EEOC's district director Lynn Bruner, in letter to both sides in dispute, says Allstate engaged in 'unlawful interference, coercion and intimidation' against life insurance agents in 2000 and 2001; commission claims Allstate required agents to convert from being employees with health and pension benefits into independent contractors; Bruner says Allstate has acknowledged telling agents they would not be permitted to work for company unless they agreed in writing not to sue for any kind of employment discrimination; says such action is form of pre-emptive retaliation (M)