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Election elation for U.S.-backed party in Lebanon

14 Jun 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Before sharing the cup with his disciples in the gospel this Sunday, Jesus gave thanks. Policy-makers in Washington gave thanks Monday upon learning of the unexpected victory of an American-backed alliance in Lebanese parliamentary elections. The hotly contested election was billed as a showdown between Tehran and Washington for influence in the Middle East. The pro-western alliance, known as the March 14 coalition, won a majority of 71 seats in the 128-member parliament, compared with 57 for the Hezbollah-led coalition, according to official results the government announced Monday. Though the Hezbollah-led challengers lost, Hezbollah itself--a Shiite political, social, and military organization that the United States and Israel officially regard as a terrorist group--will continue to be one of Lebanon's most powerful political forces in a nation that remains deeply divided. Negotiations over the formation of a government were expected to take weeks. Around Lebanon the interest in the contest was so high that during the voting on Sunday people waited up to four hours at polls, many times in the hot sun and in packed hallways. Hezbollah said on Wednesday it was ready to open a new page with its U.S.-backed rivals but would wait to see what they offer before deciding on joining any coalition government. "We will also behave in a highly positive manner and cooperate with the other side," Hezbollah deputy secretary-general Sheikh Naim Kassem told Reuters in an interview. "We will wait for what the other side offers. If it decides on a program, a vision, and a method that is different from the past and that opens new horizons, they will find us by their side," Kassem said. "But if issues remain as before at a state of tension and monopoly [of power], then we will take a stand." Source: Articles by Nadim Ladki for Reuters and Michael Slackman for the New York Times

iran elections lebanon hezbollah march 14 coalition sheikh naim kassem
Iranians elect to protest

21 Jun 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s first reading the Lord addresses Job out of a storm. In response to a storm of protest, Iran’s supreme leader reversed course this week and ordered an investigation into allegations of election fraud in last Friday’s presidential election. Earlier having called the reelection of Mahmud Ahmadinejad a “divine assessment,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Monday directed a high-level clerical panel to look into the charges of fraud. The move was not enough to placate supporters of opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who have daily taken to the streets of Tehran to protest. Tuesday the country’s most senior Islamic cleric, an opponent of Khamenei, threw his weight behind charges that Ahmadinejad’s reelection was rigged. “No one in their right mind can believe” the official results from Friday’s contest, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri said of the landslide victory claimed by Ahmadinejad. Montazeri accused the regime of handling Mousavi’s charges of fraud and the massive protests of his backers “in the worst way possible.” In an effort to quash media coverage, the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a ban on foreign news reporting of rallies in Tehran, revoked the credentials of those with temporary visas, and ordered them to leave the country as soon as possible. Cell phone service was cut in the city. To counter these restrictions a U.S. State Department official Monday emailed the social-networking site Twitter with an unusual request: Delay scheduled maintenance of its global network, which would have cut off service while Iranians were using Twitter to swap information and inform the outside world about the mushrooming protests around Tehran. The State Department said its request did not amount to meddling in Iranian affairs because the department did not contact Twitter until three days after the vote was held and well after the protests had begun. Source: Articles by Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay for McClatchy Newspapers, Mark Landler and Brian Stelter for the New York Times, and Hashem Kalantari and Fredrik Dahl for Reuters

twitter ministry of culture and islamic guidance ali khamenei hossein ali montazeri tehran mir hossein mousavi fraud mahmud ahmadinejad election iran state department
A voice for political freedom in Iran

28 Jun 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living," the Sunday reading from the Book of Wisdom tells us. Graphic video images of Neda Agha-Soltan, a young Iranian woman dying in the streets of Tehran after being shot during a protest march, have become a symbol of resistance in Iran's political crisis. The woman's first name means "the voice" or "the call," and she is being hailed as a martyr and a voice for political freedom. The images entered wide circulation Saturday when two different videos appeared on YouTube and Facebook. The amateur footage provided a powerful example of citizens' ability to document events inside Iran despite government restrictions on foreign media and Internet and phone lines. The graphic imagery could have an important impact on public opinion in Iran, where the idea of martyrdom resonates deeply among a populace steeped in the stories and imagery of Shiite Islam, which exalts martyrdom in the cause of justice. Thousands of people inside and outside Iran have written online tributes to the woman, many condemning the government and praising her as a martyr. Some posted photos of a gently smiling woman they said was Neda, some calling her "Iran's Joan of Arc." During a press conference Wednesday, President Barack Obama said he had seen the video images, which he called "heartbreaking." He praised "the courage and dignity" of the demonstrators, especially the women who have been marching. "While this loss is raw and extraordinarily painful," he said, "we also know this: Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history." Source: Articles by Michael Weissenstein and Anna Johnson for the Associated Press, Helene Cooper and David E. Sanger for the New York Times, and Robin Wright for TIME

martyrdom barack obama youtube iran elections tehran facebook neda agha-soltan shia
Iran running roughshod over democracy?

09 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Letter to the Ephesians this Sunday counsels that all bitterness and anger "must be removed from you." That has not happened in Iran, where anger in the streets and bitterness in the halls of the Iranian parliament testify to ongoing resistance to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sworn in for a second term this week. In his inauguration speech Ahmadinejad hailed what he called an "epic election" but didn't mention the turmoil that has followed for the past two months. "The victor is all the people, the revolutionary values, and the Islamic establishment," he said. Reformists did not show up at the inauguration ceremony. Instead, they were busy on social networking sites just as they have been throughout the election crisis. They posted messages ranging from defiance to offering an action plan. One message on Twitter read: "Lots of empty seats in the Majlis (parliament) today. Well done to those who kept away. Now we need leadership committed to regime change." Experts predict that if the power struggle in the country continues, chances are high some leading opposition figures will be blamed for the unrest and be arrested as a result. Meanwhile, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs backtracked Wednesday from comments he made Tuesday in which he called Ahmadinejad "the elected leader" of Iran, comments that had raised protests from reformers. Wednesday Gibbs said he wanted to "correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say it's not for me to pass judgment on. He's been inaugurated, that's a fact. Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we'll let them decide that." Source: Articles by Octavia Nasr for CNN and Foon Ray for boston.com

robert gibbs iran election mahmud ahmadinejad majlis
Afghanistan’s long and winding road

23 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"This saying is hard; who can accept it?" complain many of Jesus' disciples in this Sunday's gospel. Ahead of Afghanistan's presidential elections Thursday, U.S. troops were working to secure polling places amid an escalating pattern of violence that threatens to keep some Afghans from the polls. Gunfire and the thunder of explosions echoed through the capital on Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the scheduled start of nationwide voting for president and provincial assemblies. Taliban commanders have warned Afghans against voting in the election, which the West sees as a crucial benchmark for Afghanistan's young democracy. At least six election workers have been killed since Tuesday in attacks blamed on insurgents. In recent days the Taliban claimed responsibility for two major suicide bombings in the capital that killed more than 15 people, and in a symbolic strike, militants even tried to lob mortar shells into the presidential palace. In Afghanistan's south, the main flash point for fighting between Western troops and the Taliban, military authorities Wednesday reported the deaths of six U.S. troops in separate incidents in the previous 24 hours, one of them from noncombat causes. Thousands of new U.S. troops arrived over the summer. Safeguarding the election was one of their primary missions. Despite their efforts, both troop deaths and civilian casualties have soared. "The danger is there, and the danger is real," Kai Eide, the top United Nations representative in Afghanistan, said in an interview. "We will make the vote as secure as we can under the circumstances." Authorities acknowledged that a clear-cut result could take weeks. A preliminary tally is expected to be released over the weekend. But a final count will not be announced for two weeks, and candidates then have two more weeks to contest the result. If a runoff takes place, it would occur in October. Source: Articles by Laura King for the Los Angeles Times, BBC News, and Associated Press

afghanistan elections taliban kai eide
Aghast at Afghan voter fraud

06 Sep 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's reading from the Letter of James urges us to "show no partiality." As top envoys for Afghanistan gathered in Paris Wednesday, claims of massive vote fraud in the recent elections called into question the Afghan government's claims of partiality and cast a pall over peace efforts. U.S. special representative Richard Holbrooke joined counterparts from 26 countries and organizations for talks on Afghanistan's future after the August 20 vote, which has been mired in allegations of ballot-stuffing and voter intimidation. Afghanistan's election commission is investigating more than 2,500 complaints of irregularities. With ballots from nearly half the polling stations reported, President Hamid Karzai was leading his main rival Abdullah Abdullah but was short of the majority needed to avoid a run-off. The meeting comes two days after U.S. and NATO commanders in Afghanistan presented a gloomy assessment of the war, calling for a shift in strategy in the nearly eight-year campaign to defeat the Taliban. Already 2009 has been a record-breaking year for the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan and questions are being asked over the fate of billions of dollars in international aid that has poured into the country. Washington's relations with Karzai have grown increasingly strained while public opinion in the U.S. and Europe has turned cold over what many see as an ill-defined Afghan campaign. Source: Articles by Dexter Filkins for the New York Times and Agence France Presse

afghanistan war afghanistan election abdullah abdullah hamid karzai vote fraud richard holbrooke
Many no longer count on finding a job

18 Jul 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The author of the Letter to the Colossians talks of having a commission from the Lord he needs to “bring to completion” for the Colossians. Having largely brought their work to completion for another decade, the U.S. Census Bureau is shedding hundreds of thousands of workers--about 225,000 in only the last few weeks--putting further pressure on an already tight job market. In past decades the bureau faced a challenge just keeping workers around to close up shop, as most dashed for new jobs that might pay better. Not this time around, said observers. Jobs remain scarce. “Typically, at this point in the process, we’re losing a lot of people because they’re taking jobs,” said Kathleen Ludgate, the bureau’s regional director in Boston. “I wish we had that problem now.” Stubbornly high unemployment is causing political headaches for Democrats. Four months before the November congressional elections, Republicans have tried to paint Obama and Democrats who support him as anti-business. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a leading business group, issued a rebuke of Obama’s economic agenda Tuesday, accusing him and Democrats in Congress of neglecting job creation and hampering growth with burdensome regulatory and tax policies. Polls have reinforced Democrats’ fears of big losses in November. A survey by the Washington Post-ABC News showed 54 percent of Americans disapproved of Obama’s leadership on the economy. In a CBS News poll, only 40 percent of Americans said they approved of Obama’s handling of the economy. To counter such perceptions, the administration trumpeted an analysis from the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) that said government funding of clean energy, economic development, construction projects, and other initiatives was spurring “co-investment” by the private sector. The report, unveiled by CEA Chairwoman Christina Romer and Vice President Joseph Biden, estimated that Obama’s $862 billion economic stimulus package had saved or created roughly 3 million jobs and was on track to meet its goal of 3.5 million jobs by the end of this year. Source: Articles by Michael Powell for the New York Times, Caren Bohan for Reuters, and Dow Jones News Service

unemployment kathleen ludgate jobs census bureau economy republicans democrats elections business chamber of commerce
Voters agree on one thing: They’re not happy

31 Oct 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel Zacchaeus went to great lengths--or should we say “heights”?--to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He had heard the buzz but wanted to make up his own mind. One-third of U.S. voters still are up in the air concerning their voting decisions as the midterm election cycle enters its final week. But one thing they seem to agree on—they are not happy. Indecision remains despite record political spending and months of frenzied campaigning. Even many of those who favor a candidate say they could change their mind, according to an Associated Press-GfK Poll. One thing that is not likely to change, however, is the level of their anger and frustration. Pollsters say the anger is directed at Washington, at politicians, at President Barack Obama and the policies he has put in place, at the explosion of government spending, and at the rising debt. There is anger especially at the nonstop partisanship and bickering between the two parties. Along with the anger, though, voters express fear, worry, nervousness, disappointment, anxiety, and disillusionment. Voters are consumed not only by the immediacy of the economic distress that has hit virtually every household in the nation but also by fears that it might take years for everyone, from the average family to the federal government, to climb out of the hole created by the worst recession since the Great Depression. While the reading from the Book of Wisdom says God rebukes “little by little” with warnings and reminders, Democrats, as the party in power at a time of this unprecedented national malaise, are expected to receive a sharp rebuke at the polls next week. Republicans and “tea party” enthusiasts are poised to reap the benefits of the enormous dissatisfaction with the status quo. But the winners should take little comfort from the results, pollsters say. Polls indicate that dissatisfaction with Republicans is even greater than with Democrats, and voters have conflicted expectations about what should happen in Washington over the next year years. “The mood is a combination of frustration and fear and desperation and down,” said Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster who jointly oversees the NBC News-Wall Street Journal Poll. Source: Articles by Dan Balz for the Washington Post and Alan Fram for Associated Press

barack obama recession united states elections democrats republicans midterm elections voters
Voters agree on one thing: They’re not happy

31 Oct 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel Zacchaeus went to great lengths--or should we say “heights”?--to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He had heard the buzz but wanted to make up his own mind. One-third of U.S. voters still are up in the air concerning their voting decisions as the midterm election cycle enters its final week. But one thing they seem to agree on—they are not happy. Indecision remains despite record political spending and months of frenzied campaigning. Even many of those who favor a candidate say they could change their mind, according to an Associated Press-GfK Poll. One thing that is not likely to change, however, is the level of their anger and frustration. Pollsters say the anger is directed at Washington, at politicians, at President Barack Obama and the policies he has put in place, at the explosion of government spending, and at the rising debt. There is anger especially at the nonstop partisanship and bickering between the two parties. Along with the anger, though, voters express fear, worry, nervousness, disappointment, anxiety, and disillusionment. Voters are consumed not only by the immediacy of the economic distress that has hit virtually every household in the nation but also by fears that it might take years for everyone, from the average family to the federal government, to climb out of the hole created by the worst recession since the Great Depression. While the reading from the Book of Wisdom says God rebukes “little by little” with warnings and reminders, Democrats, as the party in power at a time of this unprecedented national malaise, are expected to receive a sharp rebuke at the polls next week. Republicans and “tea party” enthusiasts are poised to reap the benefits of the enormous dissatisfaction with the status quo. But the winners should take little comfort from the results, pollsters say. Polls indicate that dissatisfaction with Republicans is even greater than with Democrats, and voters have conflicted expectations about what should happen in Washington over the next year years. “The mood is a combination of frustration and fear and desperation and down,” said Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster who jointly oversees the NBC News-Wall Street Journal Poll. Source: Articles by Dan Balz for the Washington Post and Alan Fram for Associated Press

barack obama recession united states elections democrats republicans midterm elections voters
GOP makes grand gains, but will bipartisanship prevail?

07 Nov 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday’s gospel focuses on questions surrounding the resurrection of the dead. Two years after many pundits questioned whether the Republican Party would survive their 2008 drubbing, the GOP came roaring back to life in midterm elections with major victories on both the federal and state levels. Democrats managed to retain a slim majority in the U.S. Senate and eked out victories in a few bellwether races. Republicans captured control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday as a result of a nearly unprecedented 60-seat shift in power, and they expanded their voice in the Senate. They rode a wave of voter discontent as they dealt a setback to President Barack Obama only two years after his triumphal victory. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the House Democratic leader, narrowly prevailed in his key race, and his party hung onto control of the Senate by winning hard-fought contests in California, Delaware, Connecticut, Colorado, and West Virginia. Republicans picked up at least six Democratic seats, including the Illinois seat formerly held by the president. Several “tea party” favorites won, including Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, two candidates who were initially shunned by the establishment. “The American people’s voice was heard at the ballot box,” said Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio, who is positioned to become the next Speaker of the House (and the first Catholic Speaker from his party). “We have real work to do, and this is not the time for celebration.” The most expensive midterm election campaign in the nation’s history, fueled by a raft of contributions from outside interest groups and millions in anonymous donations to candidates, played out across a wide battleground that stretched from Alaska to Maine. Republicans also took control of governors' mansions across the country Tuesday, flipping at least a half-dozen states that had been governed by Democrats. The new crop of Republican governors aims to flex political muscle in the 2012 presidential race. “Attend to my outcry,” pleads the psalmist this Sunday, “incline your ear to me; hear my word.” The question now is, will the partisan political bickering of recent years give way to true bipartisanship or will we see more of the same in Washington, leading to further gridlock? After acknowledging that election results amounted to a "shellacking,” President Obama on Wednesday sought to tread a careful line, suggesting he would cooperate with Republicans where it was possible and confront them when it was not. "No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here," he said, a clear warning to Republicans that he won't simply bow to their demands for a sharply conservative switch in economic policy. With his comments Obama largely followed the lead of Republican leaders who said earlier in the day they were willing to work with Democrats--within limits. After a bitter campaign season, can a weary electorate, in the words of 2 Thessalonians, still have "good hopes"? Source: Articles by Jeff Zeleny and Peter Baker for the New York Times, Julie Pace and Scott Sonner for the Associated Press, Ronald Brownstein for NationalJournal.com, Stephanie Simon for the Wall Street Journal, and Marian Wang for Propublica.org

barack obama harry reid elections democrats republicans john boehner democratic party midterm elections republican party

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