Across the Nation

COLUMBIA, Mo. — FBI agents searched the home of a prominent Islamic community leader and Iraq war critic, a bureau spokesman said, declining to reveal any reasons for the search.

A dozen agents searched the home of Shakir Abdul-Kaf Hamoodi and his wife on Monday, FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza said. Agents removed boxes and computer equipment throughout the day, neighbors said.

The search warrant has been sealed, and Lanza would not comment on what the agents were looking for.

Federal agents on Monday also raided the offices of a Southfield, Mich., Muslim charity organization, Life for Relief and Development, where Hamoodi has worked.

In that raid, the warrants were based on a criminal assertion, but the affidavits were sealed, William Kowalski, an assistant special agent in the FBI’s Detroit office, told the Detroit Free Press.

The Michigan charity’s head of legal services, Ihsan Alkhatib, said the agents are investigating whether the charity conducted business in Iraq before the 2003 war in violation of legal sanctions against the country.

Task force urges gov’t to limit use of Social Security numbers

WASHINGTON — Federal agencies should restrict their use of Social Security numbers to guard against identity theft, a presidential commission said Tuesday.

The Identity Theft Task Force, which was created in May, also urges greater penalties against identity thieves and creation of a "universal police report” to help police and victims track complaints.

"When we look at the problem of identity theft, we are reminded that the same technological advances that have improved our lives have also given new and broad opportunities to criminals,” Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said.

Party groups evenly matched financially in contests for control of House

Republican and Democratic committees battling over control of the House held almost equal amounts in their bank accounts. Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y. said his organization raised $8.5 million last month and had $36 million cash on hand at the end of August.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it had collected $5 million in contributions last month and had $35 million in the bank.

Both committees are in substantially better shape financially than they were at a comparable point during the 2004 election. Reynolds said the NRCC had $10 million more in the bank than it did then. DCCC spokesman Bill Burton said the Democratic group was $15 million ahead of its 2004 mark.

"It’s clear that Democrats are motivated for November and our historic fundraising shows the tremendous momentum behind the idea of a new direction,” Burton said.

Democrats need to gain 15 seats in the House on Nov. 7 to take control after a dozen years of Republican rule. The two parties are battling in 36-40 competitive congressional districts.

Democrats are counting on public opinion polls that show them with a national political advantage. DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., said voters are hungry for a "new direction.”

"We will not be outgunned, we will not be outrun, and we are going to be in the majority in the 110th Congress,” Reynolds countered.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee, the party’s overarching political organization, said it would report raising $7.6 million in August, and cash on hand totaling more than $39 million. The Democratic National Committee said it raised nearly $6.7 million and had $10.9 million in the bank.

The overall election effort is being carried out by the national party committees and their respective House and Senate campaign committees. Together, their cumulative resources will help candidates in competitive races with advertising, mailing and voter mobilization. The two Senate committees did not release their August financial totals.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., donated $1 million Tuesday to the Senate Democrats’ campaign organization, a donation first reported by the liberal blog site DailyKos.

"I hope that it will help us level the playing field against the resources pouring in on the other side,” Clinton said in an interview.

The RNC has already weighed in specific Senate races, buttressing the national Republican Senatorial Committee in Tennessee and in Ohio. On Tuesday, the RNC reported spending more than $500,000 in new advertising aimed at Sherrod Brown, the Democrat challenging incumbent Republican Mike DeWine. Overall, the RNC has spent more than $1.6 million in that contest.

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Associated Press Writer Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.

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