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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
The latest news on the election, global warming, Iraq, Pakistan, Darfur, Millenium Development Goals, faith and politics. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary: Election. Former Republicans campaign as Democrats Call it the year of the former Republican. At a time of widely expected Republican losses in both chambers of Congress, a new breed of politician has emerged: former Republicans challenging Republican incumbents. A G.O.P. Leader and Star Struggles for Traction There is no better snapshot of the brutal political climate facing many Republicans in these final days than this: Senator Rick Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, stubbornly behind in the polls, warning with anger and growing frustration that voters should not must not, for their own good reject him for his Democratic opponent, Bob Casey, the state treasurer. In Ohio, Democrats Show a Religious Side to Voters Ohio, where a groundswell of conservative Christian support helped push President Bush to re-election two years ago, has become the leading edge of national Democratic efforts to win over religious voters, including evangelicals. Virginia's race: a bellwether gets down and dirty Senator George Allen of Virginia released a compilation of sex scenes from novels by his Democratic opponent, James Webb. And thus a Senate race that was already something of a carnival moved closer to becoming a travesty. The move followed blog rumors last week of something explosive in Allen's divorce files -- which the senator has declined to open -- and questions about whether either candidate, or both, used slurs to describe blacks.
As election nears, a flood of nastiness Nasty, misleading ads have been around for decades, and it's impossible to prove empirically that the 2006 campaign tops them all, but the wave of over-the-top claims has caught the attention of both casual observers and professionals. Republicans' Double Negatives (By E. J. Dionne Jr., The Washington Post) Whatever else it will be remembered for, this year's campaign will mark the moment when Republican leaders who govern in the name of conservatism turned definitively away from hope and waged one of the most trivial and ugly campaigns in our country's history.
Bush Says 'America Loses' Under Democrats President Bush said terrorists will win if Democrats win and impose their policies on Iraq, as he and Vice President Cheney escalated their rhetoric Monday in an effort to turn out Republican voters in next week's midterm elections. Bush: Just say no to Democrats Using the backdrop of the Iraq war to launch some of his toughest campaign attacks this political season, President Bush on Monday accused Democrats of being more concerned with pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq than with winning the war.
Global warming. British try to nudge U.S. on climate policy Left unchecked, global warming could drive the world economy into a depression similar to the devastating downturn of the 1930s, the British government said Monday in a report that appeared designed to influence politics in the United States. UK wants climate deal by 2008 The government is urgently pushing ahead on the issue because the existing Kyoto protocol runs out in 2012, and there is no binding agreement to extend it. Downing Street is seeking the outline of a package with the G8 industrial nations and five leading developing countries by next year, or 2008 at the latest. Brown seizes day to become minister for global warming Gordon Brown seized the initiative yesterday over the Stern report on climate change by presenting himself in the role of a future leader with the mission of saving the world from a global catastrophe.
Iraq. U.S. Envoy Arrives in Iraq as Tough Options Loom President Bushs national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, arrived in Baghdad on Monday on an unannounced trip to discuss how to pull the country back from the brink. Resistance to deadlines for Iraq is weakening Growing numbers of American military officers have begun to privately question a key tenet of U.S. strategy in Iraq that setting a hard deadline for troop reductions would strengthen the insurgency and undermine efforts to create a stable state. Time to cut and run Lt. Gen. William E. Odom (Ret.), senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and professor at Yale University, Los Angeles Times) The United States upset the regional balance in the Middle East when it invaded Iraq. Restoring it requires bold initiatives, but "cutting and running" must precede them all. Only a complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops within six months and with no preconditions can break the paralysis that now enfeebles our diplomacy.
Pakistan. Attack on School That Killed 80 Aimed at Al-Qaeda A missile strike that killed close to 80 people at an Islamic school in Pakistan early Monday was launched because of U.S. intelligence reports that senior al-Qaeda figures were hiding there, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strike generated angry protests by religious and tribal leaders, who accused the government of doing Washington's bidding at the cost of Pakistani lives. Tribal fury at madrasa deaths Helicopters fired missiles into a madrasa, or religious school, in Bajaur tribal region just before dawn, flattening the building and widely scattering debris and body parts. angry local villagers said the casualties were not terrorists but innocent children and religious seminarians.hildren and seminaries among 80 dead in Pakistan, say villagers.
Darfur.Khartoum seen as losing control of war in Darfur Three years after it tried to quell a rebellion in its western Darfur region, Sudan's government is losing control of the war, its army increasingly demoralized and reluctant to fight on.
Millennium Development Goals. U.N. envoys draw up 'can do' list - Five years after the world's leaders pledged to meet a well-defined and ambitious set of "Millennium Development Goals," the effort is making so little progress that in some areas conditions are getting worse. To achieve maximum benefits from limited resources, two dozen U.N. ambassadors this weekend prioritized their goals to focus on those that are within reach and will have the largest social impact.
Faith and Politics.The Disillusionment of a Young White House Evangelical But though Tempting Faith (Free Press) is a story about the Bush presidency, it is even more a story about Mr. Kuo. As much as it is a story about politics, it is also a story about faith.
'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' Do I fear being poor, in spirit or otherwise, and prefer to be rich in brains, money, or influence? Is my desire for poverty of spirit congruent with my lifestyle? Do I use the word of God to rationalize my lifestyle, or am I willing to have God's word criticize it? Do I cling to my own ideas, opinions, and judgments sometimes to the point of idolatry? - Doris Donnelly+ Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail
Monday, October 30, 2006
I promise to limit the number of times I link to my boyfriend (or myself) on this blog, but since he's a writer, a fellow journalist, and an astute political observer, it's going to happen from time to time. My apologies in advance. With that over with, I'd like to direct your attention to this observation by Noam Scheiber, of The New Republic. A paragraph at the end of a New York Times story today caught his attention with this quote: "There's going to be a moderate party for Joe Blow, and whether that party is the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, that's the battle we're seeing," Mr. Yelton [a lifelong North Carolina Democrat who recently switched parties] said. "I expect to see Hillary Clinton quoting Scripture before it's over with." As Scheiber points out, Clinton does quote scripture. She goes to church, too. And she's a devoted member - with Sam Brownback - of a Senate Bible study group. The fact that most Americans, whether liberal or conservative, "know" that these things can't possibly be true is a problem I've long thought was undervalued by those who assess Senator Clinton's presidential chances. Americans believe she is liberal and faithless. So when Clinton speaks as her true self, as a politically moderate woman of faith, one of two things happen: People either don't hear her because they can't process contradictory information, or they think she's faking it, positioning herself for a White House run. If Clinton was just an unknown Senate candidate who was appearing on the political stage this fall, her moderate politics and sensible approach to cultural issues would make her a perfect Democratic candidate. But she isn't. And, frankly, if Hillary Clinton wasn't Hillary Clinton, she wouldn't be the presumptive Democratic nominee either.
The latest news on foreign policy, arms sales, Iraq, the election, global warming, mountaintop removal, forced child-labor, and select op-eds. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary: Election. Unregulated groups wield millions to sway voters Unions, corporations and wealthy individuals have pumped nearly $300 million this year into unregulated political groups, funding dozens of aggressive and sometimes shadowy campaigns independent of party machines.
In Key House Races, Democrats Run to the Right - "In their push to win back control of the House, Democrats have turned to conservative and moderate candidates who fit the profiles of their districts more closely than the profile of the national party. Moderate Republicans Feeling Like Endangered Species Facing the loss of fellow moderates in the Nov. 7 elections, Republican centrists in the House and Senate are faulting Congressional and party leaders for pursuing a strategy dominated by conservative themes. Leading moderates say Republicans concentrated on social wedge issues like same-sex marriage while pressing national security almost to the exclusion of popular wage and health policies that could have helped endangered Republicans in the Northeast and the Midwest.
This Time, Ballot Issues Could Rally Liberal Base In 2004, Republicans in Ohio and elsewhere tended to benefit from ballot initiatives. Measures to ban same-sex marriage, for example, passed easily. In the process, some election analysts said, the measures revved the conservative base to help Republican candidates from President Bush on down. In 2006, Democrats are hoping to prove that ballot politics can work in the other direction. Measures to increase the minimum wage are before voters in six states.
GOP at a loss? Karl Rove has an 11th-hour plan to win As the midterm campaign enters the homestretch, the GOP congressional juggernaut that has dominated national politics for more than a decade may be over. Polls show Democrats extending their leads in pivotal races across the country. But the man largely responsible for the Republicans' glory days and arguably still the most powerful political operative in the United States is far from discouraged. Midterm Vote May Define Rove's Legacy Even within Rove's own party, expectations are widespread that the Nov. 7 elections will mark a repudiation for the base-rallying, contrast-drawing brand of politics with which he and Bush have been so closely aligned. But it is a mark of the particular place Rove holds in the Washington psyche that even the most exuberant Democrats are wondering why he seems so confident.
Foreign policy. Rices Counselor Gives Advice Others May Not Want to Hear- For the last 18 months, Philip D. Zelikow has churned out confidential memorandums and proposals for his boss and close friend, Condoleezza Rice, that often depart sharply from the Bush administrations current line.
Iraq. Tipping Point for War's Supporters? October 2006 may be remembered as the month that the U.S. experience in Iraq hit a tipping point, when the violence flared and shook both the military command in Iraq and the political establishment back in Washington. U.S. Is Said to Fail in Tracking Arms for Iraqis The American military has not properly tracked hundreds of thousands of weapons intended for Iraqi security forces and has failed to provide spare parts, maintenance personnel or even repair manuals for most of the weapons given to the Iraqis,
Arms sales. Russia Led Arms Sales to Developing World in '05 Russia surpassed the United States in 2005 as the leader in weapons deals with the developing world, and its new agreements included selling $700 million in surface-to-air missiles to Iran and eight new aerial refueling tankers to China, according to a new Congressional study. Those weapons deals were part of the highly competitive global arms bazaar in the developing world that grew to $30.2 billion in 2005, up from $26.4 billion in 2004. It is a market that the United States has regularly dominated.
Mountaintop removal. Taking On a Coal Mining Practice as a Matter of Faith The Mennonite Central Committee Appalachia and other Appalachian Christians are trying to halt the controversial coal mining practice known as mountaintop removal.
Global warming. Budgets Falling in Race to Fight Global Warming research into energy technologies by both government and industry has not been rising, but rather falling. In the United States, annual federal spending for all energy research and development not just the research aimed at climate-friendly technologies is less than half what it was a quarter-century ago.
Forced child labor. Africas World of Forced Labor, in a 6-Year-Olds Eyes The International Labor Organization, a United Nations agency, estimates that 1.2 million are sold into servitude every year in an illicit trade that generates as much as $10 billion annually. Studies show they are most vulnerable in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Africas children, the worlds poorest, account for roughly one-sixth of the trade, according to the labor organization. Data is notoriously scarce, but it suggests victimization of African children on a huge scale.
Op-Ed. A Case for Strengthening Marriage (By Leah Ward Sear, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.) For the f
irst time in history, less than half of U.S. households are headed by married couples. And on Sept. 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that almost 36 percent of all births are the result of unmarried childbearing, the highest percentage ever recorded. In family law, as in the rest of American society, there is an intensifying debate about how we should respond to this kind of news.
The Psalms defy our notions of profane and sacred, proving that everything we feel, witness, do unto others, and have done to us is acceptable subject matter for conversing with the Divine. They invite us to bring every part of ourselves into our houses of worship. If we omit expressions of faith lost, of rage, of disdain, and of the desire for revenge, we leave parts of ourselves at the door. - Kari Jo Verhulst+ Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail
The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. - Psalms 103:6-10 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail
Friday, October 27, 2006
 Opposition to the war in Vietnam from inside the military was unprecedented in American history. Chronicled by David Cortright in Soldiers in Revolt, the GI movement played an important part in bringing that war to an end. Now a new movement among soldiers may be starting. Nearly 500 active-duty service people have signed a message to members of Congress. An Appeal for Redress says: “As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.” Two of the initiators of the Appeal are Navy Seaman Jonathan Hutto, who served on a ship off the coast of Iraq, and Marine Sgt. Liam Madden, who served in the Anbar province of Iraq. Madden told The Washington Post: “I don’t think any more Iraqis or Americans should die because of the U.S. occupation.” The goal is to have 2,000 signers of the Appeal by Martin Luther King Day to deliver to Congress. “I think that’s easily attainable,” Madden told the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, “There’s a seed of dissent in the military against this policy, and a core of people who are acting.” When the soldiers are ready to come home, the war is on the way to being over. Duane Shank is Senior Policy Advisor at Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
 This administration, struggling for some justification for a war that is generally acknowledged as a disaster, has claimed that we’re in this war in order to spread democracy. The president points to the election of a parliament and the choosing of a prime minister as evidence that this war has had at least a modicum of success in achieving that end. But it is just this claim that I want to challenge. First of all, a democracy is a society in which people are free to make those decisions that determine their own destiny. Any honest appraisal of what is going on in Iraq would lead to the conclusion that this is not the case today. The most recent study indicates that more than 80% of Iraqi people want our troops to go home - but our leaders in Washington ignore the will of the Iraqi people. Their destiny is not in the hands of the people of that devastated country. A second characteristic of a democracy is that it is a society wherein the government has made it safe to be in the minority. Rule by the vote of the majority is not enough. In Iraq the majority of voters have chosen to create a government that is an Islamic Republic that embraces Shia law. The consequences are disturbing! There is no doubt that in removing Saddam Hussein a dictator was driven from power, but ironically women had more freedom under his rule than they are achieving in this new so-called democracy. The parliament that the majority of voters have put in place is showing signs of increasing the oppression of women. This minority group will not be safe! Another minority group that is no longer secure is Christians. During the rule of the tyrannical Hussein, strange as this might seem, they were protected both in practicing and in spreading their religion. While Christians still can have worship services, Shia law prevents them from evangelizing - a privilege they previously enjoyed. A recent United Nations report stated that religious minorities in Iraq have become regular victims of persecution and harassment. Christian women are said to have had acid thrown in their faces. Some have been killed for wearing jeans or not wearing the veil. As many as 60,000 Christians, and perhaps more, have fled the country. The 1.4 million Christians in Iraq have been whittled down to about 700,000. So much for democracy. In light of these observations, what do we say to the families who lost their loved ones, thinking that those deaths were for the sake of spreading democracy? And what do we say to the mother of the last soldier to die in a war that is, for most observers, an obvious mistake? Isn’t it time for Red Letter Christians to demand some answers to these questions? P.S. In response to those who wanted the source of my claim in last month’s blog that a survey of several prominent evangelical leaders showed that they overwhelmingly supported the torture of prisoners - that source was Randall Balmer, a professor at Columbia University.
The latest news on immigration, the election, Iraq, Afghanistan, same-sex legal rights, homeless in L.A., oil profits the conscience of our country and selected op-eds. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary:
Immigration. Bush signs fence bill, pushes back Legislation authorizing 700 miles of fencing along the southern U.S. border was signed into law by President Bush in a ceremony that underscored Republican divisions over immigration policy and left unanswered whether the entire barrier would be built. Immigration galvanizes Latino voters Republicans made immigration a central issue for 2006, calling for tough enforcement and a 700-mile border fence. But that stance, meant to rouse the party's conservatives, may backfire. Mexico fury at fence extension Relations between the US and Mexico today took a turn for the worse after George Bush signed legislation for a 700-mile border fence to counter illegal immigration into the US. The move was universally condemned by Mexican leaders. Election. 2 presidents go stumping for their parties President Bush and his Oval Office predecessor, Bill Clinton, campaigned for congressional candidates across the nation's Rust Belt, probing for issues that could spell the difference in determining control of the House and the Senate in the hotly contested midterm election. Problems with machines, ballots trouble officials - Eleven days before voters go to the polls, problems from delayed absentee ballots to names being chopped off on voting machines are hampering elections officials. The Year Of Playing Dirtier On the brink of what could be a power-shifting election, it is kitchen-sink time: Desperate candidates are throwing everything. While negative campaigning is a tradition in American politics, this year's version in many races has an eccentric shade, filled with allegations of moral bankruptcy and sexual perversion. Democrats Fear Disillusionment in Black Voters - Despite a generally buoyant Democratic Party nationally, there are worries among Democratic strategists in some states that blacks may not turn up at the polls in big enough numbers because of disillusionment over past shenanigans. Iraq. U.S. Deaths In Iraq Near Peak Months - Unrelenting daily attacks in Baghdad and the western province of Anbar have made October the deadliest month of the Iraq for U.S. troops in combat since the all-out American offensi
ves on Fallujah in April and November of 2004, Rumsfeld Tells Iraq Critics to 'Back Off' - With his chorus of critics expanding deeper into Republican ranks, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told detractors yesterday to pull back as U.S. and Iraqi officials grapple with the uncertainties of laying out Iraqs course. "You ought to just back off, take a look at it, relax, understand that it's complicated, it's difficult," Rumsfeld said, Democrats Are Divided on a Solution for Iraq Democratic leaders and candidates are virtually unanimous in opposing the presidents conduct of the war, and most advocate American disengagement either quickly or slowly. But most are not calling for an immediate withdrawal of American forces or offering a vision of what postwar Iraq should look like. A deadly month for U.S. forces - "Elsewhere, gunmen attacked Iraqi security forces north of the capital in Baqubah and outlying villages in what appeared to be coordinated strikes against police. At least 34 police officers were killed and 10 wounded in a series of attacks and ambushes. As many as 50 officers are missing," Afghanistan. Nato confirms Afghan raid deaths Nato has confirmed that at least 12 civilians were killed in an air strike targeting Taleban militants in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday. Reports suggest at least 40 civilians died when a nomad camp was hit in Kandahar province's Panjwayi district. Nato forces kill 'up to 85' civilians in Afghan attack Nato forces in Afghanistan have killed scores of civilians in a single operation, bombing them in their own homes as they celebrated the end of Ramadan. Afghans say NATO strike killed dozens of civilians Dozens of civilians were killed in a NATO military strike against suspected Taliban militants, Afghan officials. The civilian deaths--estimated by Afghan officials to be between 30 and 85, including many women and children--are among the highest in any foreign military action here since the fall of the Taliban. Same-sex legal rights. Religious Conservatives Cheer Ruling on Gays as Wake-Up Call - conservative religious leaders predicted that the court's 4 to 3 ruling, would boost turnout of social conservatives in the midterm elections, particularly in the eight states that have constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage on the Nov. 7 ballot. GOP seizes on N.J. ruling to rally religious conservatives President Bush and Republican Party activists yesterday seized on the New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples as motivation for religious conservatives to vote for their c
andidates G.O.P. Moves Fast to Reignite Issue of Gay Marriage The divisive debate over gay marriage, which played a prominent role in 2004 campaigns but this year largely faded from view, erupted anew as President Bush and Republicans across the country tried to use a court ruling in New Jersey to rally dispirited conservatives to the polls. Marriage by any other name (Chicago Tribune)- The court found that the equal protection clause of the state constitution provides broader rights than those now provided by law, but didn't upend the law's definition of marriage. As legal hairsplitting goes, the decision in New Jersey was pretty deft. Homeless in L.A. Down and out in Skid Row Police and hospitals are dumping released offenders and patients on some of the worst streets of Los Angeles The recording looks like a typical police crime scene video. Ambulances and police cars pull over on a street in downtown Los Angeles. Patients are wheeled around on stretchers. But this is no normal crime, and no normal crime scene investigation. The patients aren't being loaded into the ambulances. They are being unloaded. Oil profits. Exxon Mobil earnings hit $10.5 billion Cashing in on higher prices and production, oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. surprised Wall Street on Thursday with $10.5 billion in third-quarter profit, putting it on pace to smash earnings records for the full year. Church and election. Clergy warned on partisan preaching In the face of increased federal scrutiny of politics in the pulpit, religious denominations are warning clergy against overtly partisan preaching. Leader urges fellow Christians to keep voting for their values - Conservative Christians may be down, but theyre far from out on Election Day, valuesvoter guru David Barton said yesterday. "This is a really, really important election," Barton said during a speech at Potters House Church of God on the West Side. "Take your Sunday school class to vote, and youve got to start breaking fingers if they dont," he said. The conscience of a country. Tutu--the conscience of South Africa In a nation where critics of government and of powerful people are often dismissed as disloyal, racist or misled, Tutu is a remarkable voice--a witty and kindly critic no one can dismiss or ignore. Op-Eds. Does the Code Still Work? (By Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post) The Republican Party built its "solid South" in part with an appeal to racism against African Americans and other minorities. Election results in Tennessee and Virginia will give us a benchmark, to use George W
. Bush's new favorite word, of how much the South has changed. In Michigan, a Sale the GOP Can't Close (By E. J. Dionne Jr., The Washington Post) The problem for the GOP is that while voters in better-off states seem to be voting on Iraq and other issues, those thinking most about the economy live in lagging industrial states such as Michigan and Ohio, and they are blaming President Bush and national policies for their troubles.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. - Jeremiah 17:7-8+ Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail
Imagine a world where the representatives of the greatest military power on earth are humbled by an unarmed healer from the backwaters of Galilee. If you can imagine this kind of world, you possess...an imagination ready to discern the reign of heaven. - Stanley Saunders+ Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail
Thursday, October 26, 2006
 Tuesday evening at the Twin Cities' Bethel University, students, along with many others, gathered for a forum on how faith should relate to politics in our time. I was joined by Greg Boyd, a young pastor and theologian who leads the Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul and whose courageous new book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, has created controversy and landed him on the front page of The New York Times. We both agreed that fidelity to Jesus Christ comes before politics and found that we shared a deep appreciation of John Howard Yoder's classic book, The Politics of Jesus. Greg shared his cynicism about politics in general and his dislike of how some on the Religious Right have made politics a divisive issue in churches. He recently wrote an op-ed piece in the Minneapolis StarTribune titled “ My church has been hijacked by politics.” But he doesn't want to see the same thing on the Left either, and I agreed. Together we had a very good dialogue about both the opportunities and dangers of political engagement for Christians. The names we lifted up of those who had done it right included Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., William Wilberforce, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. You can listen to the event here. But this was one of those nights when the speakers and messages were less important than the crowd who came to hear. Not only was every seat taken in Benson Great Hall, 200 more chairs had to be put up on the stage, and every place to sit or stand was filled by young evangelicals eager to discuss how they should engage the world. Numerous faculty members said they couldn’t remember a bigger event in Bethel’s history, and it was certainly a dramatic demonstration of how things are changing in the evangelical world - especially among the new generation. Almost every week now, I find the same thing happening at Christian colleges across the nation. CNN was there to capture the event and afterward spoke to a roundtable of young evangelical students. The program is scheduled to run this evening on Anderson Cooper 360 at 10 p.m. ET. For me it was a day filled with hope and the possibility of a new faith-inspired generation that might truly shake up politics - just the way people of faith and conscience are supposed to.
the latest news on Iraq, the election, same-sex legal rights, the IRS and churches, Africa, charter schools, Salvadoran death squads, the "U2charist," and select op-eds Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary:
Iraq. Bush Is Reassuring on Iraq But Says He's 'Not Satisfied' – “President Bush declared that the United States is winning the war in Iraq despite the deadliest month for U.S. troops in a year, but he added that he is not satisfied with the situation and vowed to press Iraqi leaders to do more to stabilize their country on their own.” Conceding Missteps, Bush Urges Patience on Iraq – “Facing public dismay over the war in Iraq, President Bush somberly acknowledged the broad scope of American setbacks and missteps there.” Maliki Denies Assertion He Agreed to Timelines – “Iraqi premier lashes out at the U.S., saying his popularly elected government will not bend to American-backed benchmarks.” Iraq’s Leader Jabs at Timetables – “Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki put himself at odds with the American government that backs him, distancing himself from the American notion of a timetable for stabilizing Iraq.”
Iraq and election. Bush Focuses on Iraq as G.O.P. Tries to Change Subject - - “With a shift in tone and the suggestion of flexibility on tactics in Iraq, President Bush gambled that he could rescue Republican candidates who are having a hard time defending the war and an even harder time running away from it.” War Now Works Against GOP - “Just three months ago, Republican strategists believed that doubts about Iraq could be contained -- or even turned into an electoral advantage -- if the battle was framed as a vital front in the war against terrorism. … But the issue is not playing out that way. In both parties, a consensus now exists -- buttressed by polls -- that disaffection with a war grown costly and difficult to manage is the gravest threat to continued Republican rule.” War Effect Chills the Hearts of Republican Middle America – “the November 7 mid-term elections will test the ability of the Bush administration to drive its supporters to the polls amid the energy-sapping news emerging daily from the Middle East. The challenge is plain in Ohio, the ultimate swing state which George Bush took in 2004 to secure his second term by just 118,601 votes.” Giving cover as election nears – “Mixing contrition with defiant optimism, President Bush s
ought to dispel questions from anxious voters and Republican candidates about the GOP's wartime leadership in Iraq.” Election. A right kind of Democrat – “He is pro-business and antiabortion. He is an evangelical Christian and an avid hunter. But, unexpectedly, Heath Shuler is a Democrat, and he is running for Congress in North Carolina. Shuler is part of a phalanx of unusually conservative Democratic candidates who may deliver crucial victories over GOP incumbents and help their party win control of the House.” Democrat chameleons target bible belt – “Democrats are vying for the 'values voter' to take back the House - Disillusion with the war in Iraq, and disgust with the ethics of the party in power only partially explain why the Democrats may be poised to take back the House in November. A more fundamental shift is colouring the dynamic of a dozen key races, where reconstructed Democrats are reconnecting with Christian voters.” A hard year to be an Ohio Republican – “Any other year, Rep. Deborah Pryce would have wrapped up her race for re-election months ago. … But this year, with Mr. Bush sliding into disastrous levels in the polls and Republicans in Ohio imploding amid corruption charges and unpopular policies, she is struggling against a boilerplate Democratic candidate…” GOP has warnings about shift - “Seeking to boost turnout and sway voters, Republicans are issuing dire warnings about a Democratic victory that would make Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi the speaker of the House and put key Democrats in charge of committees with power to raise taxes, launch investigations and impeach the president.” Same-sex legal rights. New Jersey Court Backs Full Rights for Gay Couples - “New Jersey’s highest court ruled that gay couples are entitled to the same legal rights and financial benefits as heterosexual couples, but ordered the Legislature to decide whether their unions must be called marriage or could be known by another name.” Justices rule for gays in N.J. case – “In a ruling that could make New Jersey the second state to legalize same-sex marriage, the state Supreme Court said that gay couples have the same right to the benefits of marriage as heterosexual couples.” New Jersey’s Justices Agree on All but the ‘M’ Word – “All seven justices were in vehement agreement that gay and lesbian unions must be guaranteed all of the rights and benefits that come with heterosexual marriages. … But the vocabulary, the majority continued, must be committed to politics. “If the age-old definition of marriage is to be discarded,” Justice Albin wrote in the decision, “such change must come from the crucible of the democratic process.” IRS and churches. Watchdog Group Accuses Churches of Political Action – “A nonprofit group has filed a complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the role that two churches may have played in the re-election campaign of Kansas's attorney general.” Global Fund in Africa. Global Fund's fight against diseases stumbles in Africa – “As the fund's board prepares to elect a new executive director of the organization next week in Guatemala, a report issued yesterday said the Global Fund needs much better oversight of programs on the ground and must find ways to help countries make the initiatives work.” Charter schools. Ohio justices tilt to charter schools – “The state's network of publicly funded, privately operated charter schools is constitutional, a sharply split Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.” Death squad arrest. Immigration officials arrest former Salvadoran army officer – “Gonzalo Guevara Cerritos, convicted of the 1989 death squad murders of six Jesuit priests, is arrested in L.A. as a human rights violator. Federal authorities said a tip from the public put them on Guevara Cerritos' trail.” The next war? World Briefings: Jihad targets Ethiopia in Horn of Africa – “Somali Islamists have begun recruiting thousands of young fighters to wage a "jihad" against Ethiopia, officials said yesterday amid fears of imminent all-out war across the lawless Horn of Africa nation.” U2charist. Rocking the church: Episcopal ‘U2-charist' uses songs in service – “When Anglican Archbishop Thomas Cranmer compiled the Book of Common Prayer during the 16th century, he wanted to make the prayers accessible, so he wrote in English, not Latin, and made sure it was distributed to every church. About 450 years later, there is another attempt to make prayers more accessible — by an Irish bard who wears wrap-around shades instead of a clerical collar. It may not qualify as a mini-Reformation, but a Communion service driven by the music of singer Bono and his U2 bandmates is catching on at Episcopal churches across the country.” Op-Ed. Why Democrats are losing the culture war (Amy Sullivan, USA Today) – “Most voters worry about escalating challenges to family stability and the losing battle to instill good values in their children instead of the materialism and coarseness peddled by popular culture. They fear that our society has developed a casualness about life, especially as science has made it easier to manipulate and create beings. Banning gay marriage and outlawing abortion don't directly address those anxieties. But proposals like these at least acknowledge that the concerns exist and are valid. So while Republicans offer the wrong prescriptions, they get the diagnosis right. And they win because most of the time, Democrats wo
n't admit that anything is wrong. In politics, as in most areas of life, something always beats nothing.”
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