Nuke Talks With Iran: Time to Pull the (Economic) Plug
The United States and its allies are now sitting down—once again- with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. What will happen? What should happen?
Two recent headlines give us some clues. Three years after the Israelis destroyed the Syrian Al-Kibar nuclear reactor, the regime in Damascus continues to stonewall the International Atomic Energy Administration. And 16 years after a supposed breakthrough agreement with North Korea, a “breathtaking” uranium enrichment program continues apace.
Here slow-dancing with Venezuela’s Chavez, Iran’s Ahmadinejad
has several back-door partners to denude current sanctions.
Iran specializes in playing diplomatic rope-a-dope. Its allies in China continue to supply it with missile and nuclear technology. Recent documents appear to confirm the sale of BM-25 rockets to Iran from North Korea. These missiles have a 4000 kilometer range. Iran is now capable of targeting Western Europe for the first time. The USAF says Iran will have the ability to launch an ICBM, or intercontinental ballistic missile, by 2015 along with an attached nuclear device.
Brazil and Turkey, with the tacit support of China, call for reprocessing some of Iran’s enriched uranium for medical isotopes. That proposal will be resurrected. A variation of this will include a repeat of the October 2009 proposal to move some significant portion of Iran’s enriched material out of the country to Russia, for example, also for reprocessing into medical isotopes.
What will happen? It may depend on how hard the bite is of the economic sanctions currently in place. Will these sanctions include action by China? What about Venezuela using its banking system to help Iran evade them? How serious will the “international community” be? And most importantly, how serious will Tehran take America’s ability—should it come to that—to “give ‘em a whoopin’” they richly deserve.
Apparently the US has only met “in part” the “international test” required by our allies to get serious about the Iranian threat. Many have expressed very serious concern. One key Middle East nation recommended we “cut off the head of the snake.” Others prayed the US or Israel would save the day by using military force to destroy as much of the Iranian nuclear program as possible. Our Secretary of Defense says that would delay an Iranian nuclear program for a few years but not much more. But others continue to ignore the Iranian threat.
To the extent the international sanctions against Iran are implemented in a serious manner, the Tehran regime may compromise. Some of the potential nuclear weapons material may be eliminated and transformed into isotopes. But the enrichment capability will probably remain because we have made it a “right” of countries to possess such technology.
Even as they are rogue states, described by our own state department as the premier sponsor of terrorism in the world today. Even as they kill American and coalition soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even as they, allied with Syria and Hezbollah, seek to further destroy whatever independence remains of the government of Lebanon. Even as they seek to destroy Israel.
Part of our problem is our belief in a totally false narrative. First, we repeatedly describe Tehran’s terrorist partner, Syria, as a potential “peace partner.” Second, we continue to believe terrorism is primarily caused by legitimate grievances held by the “Arab street” most importantly the lack of a Palestinian state. Third, we do not understand that a poisonous coalition of states, intelligence services, terror groups, shadowy financiers and jihadi recruitment centers camouflaged as mosques and madrassas, are at war with us.. Fourth, we continue to believe that most terrorist attacks directed at the US have been carried out by loose bands of individuals angry at our culture, power and foreign policy, randomly attacking targets of convenience.
What we have forgotten is much like the Cold War, terrorism is a policy directed against the West and NATO and its allies, including Israel, as a means of achieving not only hegemonic goals but also revenge. We think Al Qaeda is the major threat when all terrorist attacks prior to the Embassy Bombings in Africa in 1998 were never attributed to Al Qaeda.
But Beirut, Lockerbie, Berlin, Oklahoma City, Long Island, World Trade Center 93, to name but the most notable terror attacks, were all serious attacks. And they were all probably carried out by states and state sponsors of terrorism, using terror groups as accomplices. This form of warfare is not new, having been perfected by the Soviets throughout the Cold War. It is warfare without attribution. It is to circle around one’s enemies and undo the power of deterrence.
If we are serious about all this, we should unplug Iran from the world’s economy. If you do business with Iran, you and your associated companies, banks, oil tankers, industrial firms, shipping fleets do not do business with America. Period. And that means China. In addition, a successful completion of the liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan would significantly strengthen the forces arrayed on Iran’s borders opposed to its terrorist ways. So that has to be part of a successful US policy.
As we stand in the way of Tehran’s hegemonic goals, people mistake Iran’s behavior as a response to US “threats.” Not unlike North Korea’s refrain that is only the US “hostile policy” that is responsible for Pyongyang’s murderous actions, Iran will no doubt continue to claim the same. The administration has moved sanctions in the right direction. As a country, however, our policy decision comes down to this: do we seek to remove the regime entirely? Or, do we “cut the grass,” so to speak, accepting incremental change that while viewed as steps in the right direction are actually nothing more than slick diplomatic rope-a-dope?
Nate Silver on the Democrats’ bad tax cut poker hand (and How Obama could still pull this off)
Nate Silver serves up some sound analysis that should help Democrats, particularly liberals, digest the coming tax cut compromise. His point: Democrats have three options, only two of which they’re really willing to stomach… There are essentially three possible outcomes in the debate: first, that the tax cuts are extended for everyone; second, that they […]
The Reid Report
Amazon: We Didn’t Pull Down WikiLeaks Because Of Government
Say it ain’t so, Joe. Amazon’s web hosting service on Thursday said they didn’t stop hosting WikiLeaks just because Sen. Joe Liberman (I-CT) asked them to.
The Lieberman camp said this week that Amazon stopped hosting WikiLeaks after inquires from the Connecticut Senator’s office. But Amazon said late Thursday that reports that government inquires caused the pulldown were “inaccurate.”
“Amazon Web Services (AWS) rents computer infrastructure on a self-service basis. AWS does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks was not following them,” Amazon said.
WikiLeaks, said Amazon, had violated their terms of service which stated that “you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content… that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity.”
“It’s clear that WikiLeaks doesn’t own or otherwise control all the rights to this classified content,” Amazon said in a statement.
Human Rights First had written a letter to Amazon asking the company to “make clear the decision making process that led the dropping of Wikileaks from Amazon’s servers and to share with the public which parts of the United States government contacted Amazon with the request to halt service.”
Amazon’s full statement:
There have been reports that a government inquiry prompted us not to serve WikiLeaks any longer. That is inaccurate.
There have also been reports that it was prompted by massive DDOS attacks. That too is inaccurate. There were indeed large-scale DDOS attacks, but they were successfully defended against.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) rents computer infrastructure on a self-service basis. AWS does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks was not following them. There were several parts they were violating. For example, our terms of service state that “you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content… that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity.” It’s clear that WikiLeaks doesn’t own or otherwise control all the rights to this classified content. Further, it is not credible that the extraordinary volume of 250,000 classified documents that WikiLeaks is publishing could have been carefully redacted in such a way as to ensure that they weren’t putting innocent people in jeopardy. Human rights organizations have in fact written to WikiLeaks asking them to exercise caution and not release the names or identities of human rights defenders who might be persecuted by their governments.
We’ve been running AWS for over four years and have hundreds of thousands of customers storing all kinds of data on AWS. Some of this data is controversial, and that’s perfectly fine. But, when companies or people go about securing and storing large quantities of data that isn’t rightfully theirs, and publishing this data without ensuring it won’t injure others, it’s a violation of our terms of service, and folks need to go operate elsewhere.
We look forward to continuing to serve our AWS customers and are excited about several new things we have coming your way in the next few months.
– Amazon Web Services
Republicans Pull the Plug, Jobless Help Dies
At the stroke of midnight last night, some 800,000 workers who have been looking for jobs for more than six months lost their unemployment insurance (UI)—2 million will be without help by the end of December. Why? Because congressional Republicans have chosen to side with the nation’s millionaires instead of the jobless.
They chose extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy as their top priority this lame duck session and essentially have told workers struggling to find work in an economy with five job hunters for every opening: “Tough luck. Happy holidays.”
Click here for the latest count on the number of jobless workers who have lost their unemployment insurance since Republicans let the program die.
Before leaving for the Thanksgiving recess, Republicans blocked a move in the House that would have maintained the extended benefits program through February. Monday Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced a legislation to maintain the UI lifeline for a full year. But Republicans vow to kill that bill. Says Baucus:
These benefits help millions of Americans put food on the table and roofs over their heads—pumping money into our economy and helping to create jobs. Continuing the program for a year will provide the certainty our economy and these Americans looking for work need.
Today on Capitol Hill, about 100 jobless workers from across the nation will lobby for the one-year extension. They will be joined by AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and other lawmakers. Harkin says:
Currently, the national unemployment rate is 9.6 percent. At the current rate, without a reauthorization, we would cut the lifeline that millions of Americans use to stay afloat. Equally importantly, we would endanger our fragile economic recovery by reducing the amount Americans spend on groceries, utilities and other basic needs.
Yesterday, in a letter to President Obama and Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, Economic Policy Institute (EPI) President Larry Mishel and 33 other leading economists urged swift action “for the good of the economy and the well-being of millions of deserving Americans who depend on them.”
In a statement with the letter, the economists say maintaining the UI program is:
sensible economic policy that will not only assist the unemployed but help maintain spending, overall demand and employment at this critical point in the recovery. Eliminating these benefits, on the other hand, will cause hardship for the long-term unemployed, scale back spending and weaken the economy since unemployment benefits are one of the most effective means available to support overall demand.
Click here to sign a petition urging Congress to maintain the UI program for the long-term jobless workers. Click here to see our counter of how many workers have lost their unemployment benefits and share it with your friends. We urge you to post it on Facebook, tweet it and embed the counter to your blog or website. Mark your calendar for a Dec. 7 day of online solidarity with America’s long-term jobless workers.
Soon to be New Sheriffs in Town, GOP Reps Boehner & Cantor to Smithsonian: Pull Exhibit Featuring Ant Covered Jesus or Else
So an ant covered Jesus is what passes as art these days? Not any more as there is soon to be a new Sheriffs in town. The exhibit, “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” includes video images of an ant-covered Jesus on a crucifix, male genitals, naked brothers kissing, men in chains among other so-called art images.
Republican US Reps John Boehner and Eric Cantor tell the Smithsonian to pull the exhibit featuring images of an ant covered Jesus or face the consequences. Soon to be House Speaker Boehner reminded the Smithsonian that he is soon to be Speaker and warned the federally funded institution that it will face serious questions when the Republican Congress considers the next budget.
“American families have a right to expect better from recipients of taxpayer funds in a tough economy,” Boehner’s Spokesman Kevin Smith told CNSNews.com. “While the amount of money involved may be small, it’s symbolic of the arrogance Washington routinely applies to thousands of spending decisions involving Americans’ hard-earned money at a time when one in every 10 Americans is out of work and our children’s future is being threatened by debt.
“Smithsonian officials should either acknowledge the mistake and correct it, or be prepared to face tough scrutiny beginning in January when the new majority in the House moves to end the job-killing spending spree in Washington,” Smith said.
When asked to clarify what exactly Boehner meant by calling on the Smithsonian to “correct” their mistake with the exhibit, Smith responded in an email that Boehner wanted the exhibit “cancelled.”
Cantor, meanwhile, said the exhibit should be “pulled.”
It appears that the Smithsonian has blinked. As reported at Big Hollywood, the Smithsonian has pulled the exhibit. Also reported at Fox News, a video depicting Jesus on a crucifix covered in ants will be removed from an exhibit at the museum. Intentionally sacrilegious? Oh, but it was ok to unintentionally do so? Because who would ever think that having an ant covered Jesus would ever be considered sacrilegious.
“I regret that some reports about the exhibit have created an impression that the video is intentionally sacrilegious,”the statement read. “In fact, the artists’s intention was to depict the suffering of an AIDS victim. It was not the museum’s intention to offend. We are removing the video today. The museum’s statement at the exhibition’s entrance, ‘This exhibition contains mature themes,’ will remain in place.”
So these so-called artists thought they were being cutting edge and daring. However, as stated by the Jawa Report, if these artists really wanted to be daring and controversial, they’d create an ant-covered Quran exhibit. Imagine what would have happened to the artists if it were an ant covered Mohamed? However, if they ever created such art, they would have their heads cut off. It’s much easier and safer to sacrilege Jesus.
Steelers vs. Bills: Buffalo Drops Opportunity to Pull Huge Upset – FanHouse
Globe and Mail |
Steelers vs. Bills: Buffalo Drops Opportunity to Pull Huge Upset
FanHouse A week ago, the Steelers turned their game against the Raiders into a blowout quickly. For 30 minutes, Pittsburgh was on the same kind of roll. But a second-half collapse and some timely passing by Ryan Fitzpatrick almost led to one of the … Steelers 19, Bills 16 (OT): Buffalo blows chance to upset Pittsburgh Steelers pull out 19-16 OT win over Bills Steelers pull out 19-16 OT win over Bills |
Candidates pull ahead in New Hampshire
(CNN) – The Republican Senate candidate and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire are heading into Election Day with comfortable leads over their opponents, according to a new poll.
In the WMUR/UNH New Hampshire Election Poll released Monday, three-term incumbent Democratic Gov. John Lynch leads his Republican opponent, John Stephen, a former state official by 8 percentage points among likely voters, 49 percent to 41 percent. Two percent support the Libertarian candidate and 7 percent are undecided.
In the Senate race, Republican Kelly Ayotte is leading Democrat Paul Hodes, 54 percent to 36 percent among likely voters. One percent of voters support the Independent candidate and 8 percent of voters are undecided.
New Hampshire holds additional importance because it is the first primary state of the presidential election.
Earlier this year three potential presidential hopefuls visited the state, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, 2008 presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and Republican Governors Association and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
The most recent poll was taken between October 27 and October 31 and has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percent.
Tom Foley Surging In Final Days In Three Polls; Dan Malloy Says Ground Game Will Pull Off Victory On Tuesday
Republican challenger Tom Foley is surging in three polls in the final days before Tuesday’s election in a bitter battle for governor that is still too close to call.
Foley is ahead by three percentage points in Monday’s latest Quinnipiac University poll – a sharp turnaround from last week’s poll that showed Democrat Dannel Malloy ahead by 5 percentage points. A new poll by Rasmussen, conducted on Sunday and released Monday, has Foley ahead by 2 percentage points with 5 percent undecided. A third poll by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C. has Foley ahead by 2 points with a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.
A fourth poll, by YouGov of Palo Alto, California, has Malloy up by 4 percentage points. A fifth poll, released recently by the CT Capitol Report web site, had the race literally tied at 45.1 percent each.
Throughout the general election campaign, Malloy has consistently been ahead in the polls. The late surge by Foley has come over the past week, and Rasmussen noted that Foley had not been ahead in any of its polls since April. Rasmussen still rates the race as a “toss-up.”
The latest Quinnipiac survey of likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, meaning that Foley’s 3 point lead is “statistically insignificant,” said pollster Doug Schwartz.
“We had a lot of movement in the last week,” Schwartz told reporters at the state Capitol. “We saw a shift over to Foley. … It’s the first time that he has the lead, but I have to emphasize that it is within the margin of error. It is too close to call. Malloy can certainly still pull this out. … There’s plenty of room for movement, even at this late date.”
Even on the eve of the election, there is potential movement because 6 percent of voters surveyed by Quinnipiac are still undecided and 11 percent said they could still change their minds before Tuesday.
Malloy’s supporters, such as former Lt. Gov. Kevin B. Sullivan, say that the well-oiled machinery of the ground game will provide a solid, get-out-the-vote effort that will match the successful effort that allowed Malloy to come from behind and defeat Greenwich cable TV executive Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary in August. Malloy’s team believes that history will repeat itself less than three months later.
“In the past few days, some polls have had us up, some down, and some within the margin of error,” said Malloy campaign manager Dan Kelly. “Today’s Quinnipiac poll shows us down 3 points – the same deficit we faced the day before the primary. We are confident that Dan’s strength as a closer, coupled with our ground game, will result in a victory tomorrow.”
Dating back to his days as mayor, Malloy has a documented history of coming from behind in races. He had been far behind when he lost by 1.5 percentage points to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano in the 2006 race for governor.
Poll suggests, Dems pull ahead in California
(CNN) – Tuesday yielded good news for Democrats in California with a new poll that shows the nominees for Governor and Senator leading their Republican opponents.
In the Suffolk University poll, attorney general and former Gov. Jerry Brown leads former eBay CEO Meg Whitman by 8 percentage points, 50 percent to 42 percent among likely voters. Five percent supported the third party candidates in the race.
Incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer leads former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina by 9 percentage points in the same poll, 52 percent to 43 percent. Four percent supported the third party candidates in the race.
An L.A. Times/USC poll released Sunday, showed Boxer leading Fiorina by 8 percentage points, 50 percent to 42 percent.
The sampling error for the Suffolk survey is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Both races have been a war of words and ads, but the new numbers suggest a Democratic tilt.
The winner of the race for governor will replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Boxer is fighting for her 4th term in the Senate.
-CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Democrats Pull Plug on a Dozen House Races
“Democratic strategists acknowledged they are abandoning a dozen House seats the party now holds, as they try to salvage their majority in the chamber by shoring up candidates with better chances,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The retrenching now under way happens in every election and is typically painful for the party running behind. Democrats are loath to admit that they are cutting off any of their candidates, but two Democrats familiar with the election strategy said that about a dozen seats now held by the party are lost. Ad-tracking data show that none of these districts is slated to receive party-funded TV ads.”
Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire
It’s come to this: Murkowski wants Alaska TV to pull tea party ads
Power.
On the one hand, I’m disgusted. On the other hand … I wonder if we could get her to keynote RINOcon. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s campaign is warning Alaska broadcasters not to air ads by a national tea party group that the campaign says are “littered with lies and intentional mischaracterizations” about her and her […]
Angle urges Nevada candidate to pull out, criticizes Republicans
Washington (CNN) – Nevada GOP Senate nominee Sharron Angle urged third party candidate Scott Ashjia to pull out of the race at a meeting last week, saying his campaign could result in re-election for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, according to an audio tape of the meeting recorded by Ashjia.
During the session, she offered Ashjian access to several Republican Senators and “whatever juice I have” to help persuade him.
“Anything I can deliver personally I am glad to,” Angle told Ashjian,who is running as a Tea Party candidate, during the Wednesday night meeting.
Angle said she and Ashjian share the same views of why the current political system is broken, but told him the best way for her to achieve her goals was to run as a Republican.
Rumsfeld to ‘pull no punches’ in new book
(CNN) – Don Rumsfeld’s long-anticipated memoir will be released in January, and the former defense secretary isn’t going to pull any punches, his publisher said Monday.
The upcoming book – “Known and Unknown” – will hit book stores January 25 and “is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” according to the book’s publisher, Sentinel, a division of Penguin.
The book’s title harkens to his infamous 2002 quote explaining there were “known unknowns” and “unknown unknowns” when it came to the war in Iraq – a word jumble that Rumsfeld critics found emblematic of his inartful leadership.
And if there is any doubt Rumsfeld will reveal new details, the former defense secretary is planning to launch a website to coincide with the books publication that will feature previously undisclosed documents.
“It’s both a fascinating narrative for today’s readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow’s historians, said Sentinel president and publisher Adrian Zackheim The manuscript delivers everything I was hoping for and much more.”
Rumsfeld has largely dodged the public eye since his abrupt resignation from the Pentagon the day after the 2006 midterm elections – when the Republican party lost control of Congress largely because of the unpopularity with the war in Iraq.
It remains unclear how much Rumsfeld was paid to write the memoir, but he is pledging to donate the book’s proceeds to veterans’ charities
Peace partners push their people to “Pull the Trigger”
Palestiniian Media Watch finds another humdrum, everyday piece of incitement to killing Israelis on moderate Palestinian Authority TV:
Band member recites a poem:
“Fight, brother, the flag will never be lowered,
the torches will never die out.”
On [Mt.] Carmel (in Israel) and in the [Jordan] Valley,
we are rocks and streams.
In Lod (Israeli city) we are poems, and in Ramle (Israeli city) – grenades.
We, my brother, shall remain the revolution of the fighting nation.”Vocalist sings:
“The Zionists went out from [their] homelands,
compounding damage and enmity.
But the Palestinian revolution awaits [them].
The orchard called us to the [armed] struggle.
We replaced bracelets with weapons.
We attacked the despicable [Zionists].
This invading enemy is on the battlefield.
This is the day of consolation of Jihad.
Pull the trigger.
We shall redeem Jerusalem, Nablus and the country.”
It was broadcast two days before the latest round of “peace” talks.
Just as a brief reminder, here is a list of the incitement by the PA that I posted from PMW in just the past month:
Moderate PA honors architect of Olympic massacre
CBS: Even With Susan Boyle ‘Warm-Up Act’ Pope Still Couldn’t Pull In A Big Enough Crowd
Reporting on Pope Benedict’s visit to the UK on Friday’s CBS Early Show, correspondent Mark Phillips noted how 65,000 people attended a Thursday outdoor mass in Scotland, but observed: "…it was only about a quarter of the size of the crowd Pope John Paul drew to the same park on his visit 28 years ago. And this crowd had a much better warm-up act…TV talent show star…Susan Boyle."
On Thursday, correspondent Richard Roth touted low turnout predictions during the Papal visit: "Some Church officials this morning were already lowering expectations, saying seats were still unsold for several outdoor events."
Phillips described the trip as "A test of whether Pope Benedict can get his message across over the background noise of the Church’s child abuse scandal. And that test gets harder as time goes on." He went on to observe "This Pope finds himself with an ironic challenge, he bemoans the weakening role of religion in everyday life, yet it is the Church’s very own public struggle with its child-molesting priests that is helping to drive people away."
Phillips concluded his report by highlighting the Pope’s critics: "And, of course, the protesters against child abuse, for gay rights and other issues, promise to follow him wherever he goes."
On Thursday, Roth proclaimed the Pontiff’s visit was "bound to be shadowed by controversy along with ceremony" and "courts criticism on a range of issues."
Here is a full transcript of Phillips’s September 17 report:
7:10AM ET SEGMENT:
JEFF GLOR: Today is the second day of the Pope’s historic visit to Great Britain. And today he meets the leader of the Anglican church. This morning, Pope Benedict went to an outdoor prayer meeting at a school outside London. And CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips is in Twickenham this morning. Mark, good morning.
MARK PHILLIPS: Good morning, Jeff. Well, this is, in fact, turning out to be more than just a Papal visit, it’s turning into a test. A test of whether Pope Benedict can get his message across over the background noise of the Church’s child abuse scandal. And that test gets harder as time goes on.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Papal Pilgrimage; Pope Benedict XVI Confronts Controversies in UK]
Pope Benedict brought his message to the classroom today, visiting a Catholic school in suburban London. This Pope finds himself with an ironic challenge, he bemoans the weakening role of religion in everyday life, yet it is the Church’s very own public struggle with its child-molesting priests that is helping to drive people away.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: The life of faith can only be effectively nurtured when the prevailing atmosphere is one of respectful and affectionate trust.
PHILLIPS: Pope Benedict has proved on this trip that he can still draw a crowd. Yet, impressive though the 65,000-strong open-air mass in Scotland was yesterday, it was only about a quarter of the size of the crowd Pope John Paul drew to the same park on his visit 28 years ago. And this crowd had a much better warm-up act, the former Scottish choir girl turned TV talent show star and internet sensation, Susan Boyle, who sang a medley of her hits. This is being billed as Pope Benedict’s most political day of the visit. He meets with the Archbishop of Canterbury, as you said, and he also gives a speech to British parliamentarians. And, of course, the protesters against child abuse, for gay rights and other issues, promise to follow him wherever he goes. Jeff.
GLOR: Alright, Mark Phillips, this morning. Mark, thank you very much.
