Keep Your Eye On Jan. 9 Voter ID Case

January 2008 promises to be very significant regarding election news. Everyone is aware of the caucuses and primaries occurring but we should be sure to put January 9 on the radar screen. An Indiana voter ID case, perhaps the most important voting rights case since Bush v. Gore, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court that day. Indiana law requires residents to present a government issued photo ID at the polls in order to vote. Previously, Indiana only required a signature to vote. The Indiana law is the nation's most restrictive ID law. Opponents are concerned that it prevents many eligible citizens from voting. Studies have shown that this type of requirement targets elderly, poor and minority voters. Supporters argue that this approach is a reasonable hurdle in order to prevent voter fraud. For details about this case, amicus briefs and other legal documents visit Brennan Center for Justice NYU School of Law: Crawford v. Marion County Election Board


As the world's leading democracy we should be looking for ways to enfranchise citizens. Establishing arbitrary barriers such as a government issued photo ID should be rejected.

Bhutto's Assassination Leaves US with No Options

It has been another sad and tragic day as Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan and head of the Pakistan Peoples' Party, was assassinated in Rawalpindi . Bhutto's life was under constant threat since she returned to the country in October as part of a last ditch effort to bring new direction and strong leadership to the country.

The death of Bhutto is yet another significant blow to the Bush administration's foreign policy and War of Terrorism. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was instrumental in convincing Bhutto that a power sharing agreement was in the country's best interest and could be reached with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The U.S. promised increased aid as an incentive for Bhutto and Musharraf to work out an arrangement. When that failed and Musharraf did not or could not provide the necessary security for Bhutto, this outcome was most unfortunately -- predictable.

Pakistan is (and has been) the true frontline in war on terror. It is Pakistan, not Iran or Iraq, that is under siege by both the Taliban and Al Qaeda -- Pakistan is the country that has nuclear weapons. Pakistan, under Musharraf, suffers from weak leadership and with the jihadist forces exerting influence, there should have been a greater focus on bringing stability to this country.

The Bush Administration's reliance on Musharraf continues to be a disaster. Now it seems we are left with no options. Musharraf can not be allowed to fail because the country will fall further into chaos and that is unacceptable.

Many people criticized Barack Obama this fall when he spoke out against Musharraf and was critical of the Bush policy, but he was absolutely correct.

The NewsHour as always had solid coverage of the story.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The weather extremes of the past few days kept us home bound. However, the connectedness we share is ever with us and is particularly intense as we reflect on the meaning of today's celebration.

The Holiday Season, from Thanksgiving to New Year, is a time of reflection, re-dedication and committing oneself to embark on new journeys. We wish you the best, God's peace and grace!

Over the next few days as you reflect on the holidays, I hope you will have time to look at some of the linked articles and share your thoughts and comments about the subjects and points being made by the authors.

In particular, I'd like to read your comments regarding:

Jesus as radical and what those implications are for us in today's society...According to accounts of Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas message he encouraged followers to make time for God, be more involved with those in need. AP quotes the Pope saying, "Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others, for his neighbor, for the poor, for God," Additionally the Pope used his homily to highlight environmental concerns. Ah, now we're getting into the political realm. The Dallas Morning News ran this OpEd today discussing politicians' and their use or misuse of the "Jesus Card." What are your thoughts about how William McKenzie essentially re-phrases the question, "What would Jesus do?" and then cautions political leaders to not condense "Jesus down to the candidate of the left, right or middle."

Why are Christians, who supposedly have the most powerful force in the universe living inside of them, fearful of the power of retailers and others in the public square who choose to be more inclusive in their marketing and approach to a season where there are a variety of traditions... An online poll taken by WSET-TV in Dansville, VA found that 62 percent of 7,464 people responding (this is FAR from scientific polling) were offended if stores don't say Merry Christmas? Here's what Creflo Dollar has to say on the matter...Do you agree or feel like I do that Dollar doesn't make any sense on most religious questions.

A Musical Tribute to Oscar Peterson who died this week
One one most amazing piano meetings of all time! Two of the greatest pianists, the incredible Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock play "Billie´s Bounce."

There is also NPR's "Oscar Peterson's 'Jazz Odyssey' -- Pianist Looks Back at His Life Among Legends"