Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Talk:Liberal Christianity

2008-02-27T00:22:41Z

Mrb:

This page is much to kind to liberals. -- [[User:ChrisWa|ChrisWa]]
I suggest the addition of a section on criticisms or controversy.
:No, because then people like myself will whine. -_- [[User:Kektklik|Fuzzy]] 18:47, 26 February 2008 (EST)

I finally understand conservapedia: it's a [[satire]] of what passes for conservative thought in the more extreme reaches of the 'net. That aschlafly is an absolute [[master]] of irony. This article started out as a sober rendition of liberal Christianity -- boring, boring, boring -- until aschlafly put his magic touch to it. Now it's hilariously funny, as long as I remember that this whole site is a [[parody]] of an actual encyclopedia! The joke's on me: it just took me too long to fully appreciate the subtle irony that permeates this site. And aschlafly -- if you're following this; if you're not really a committee of professional comedians -- my hat's off to you, sir! Keep up the wickedly satirical work; and you can count on me to keep the joke quiet, so that other pilgrims can experience the belly laugh I'm enjoying right now. [[User:Mrb|Mrb]]

Liberal Christianity

2008-02-26T21:55:51Z

Mrb: New page: '''Liberal Christianity''' is a term used, in the United States, to describe Christians who hold theologically, socially, or politically liberal views. Liberal Christianity m...

'''Liberal Christianity''' is a term used, in the [[United States]], to describe [[Christians]] who hold theologically, socially, or politically [[liberal]] views.

Liberal Christianity may refer to theologically liberal movements, which take many forms in modern Christianity. In some Christian denominations, support for the ordination of women might be regarded as a liberal position. The blessing by the Church of same-sex unions is a position supported by some liberal Christians.

Liberal Christianity may refer to an opinion or advocacy position on certain political issues. Liberal Christians may oppose the death penalty because of their religious views. They may believe that their faith requires them to support efforts to alleviate poverty. Opposition to torture may be justified based on liberal Christianity. A liberal Christian may believe that the obligation to be a good steward of God's creation logically leads one to support for efforts to slow global climate change. Liberal Christians may support equal rights for homosexuals.

[[Category:Christian movements]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Toni Morrison

2008-02-24T03:27:48Z

Mrb:

'''Toni Morrison''' (b. 1931) is a Nobel Prize-winning American author. Her best known novels are ''The Bluest Eye'', ''Song of Solomon'', and ''Beloved'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. Her novels ''Beloved'' and ''The Bluest Eye'' are on the American Library Association's ten most challenged books of 2006<ref>http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=151926</ref>.

Toni Morrison

2008-02-23T18:12:35Z

Mrb:

'''Toni Morrison''' (b. 1931) is a Nobel Prize-winning American author. Her best known novel are ''The Bluest Eye'', ''Song of Solomon'', and ''Beloved'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. Her novels ''Beloved'' and ''The Bluest Eye'' are on the American Library Association's ten most challenged books of 2006<ref>http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=151926<ref/>.

Toni Morrison

2008-02-23T18:12:01Z

Mrb: New page: '''Toni Morrison''' (b. 1931) is a Nobel Prize-winning American author. Her best known novel are ''The Bluest Eye'', ''Song of Solomon'', and ''Beloved'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for ...

'''Toni Morrison''' (b. 1931) is a Nobel Prize-winning American author. Her best known novel are ''The Bluest Eye'', ''Song of Solomon'', and ''Beloved'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. Her novels ''Beloved'' and ''The Bluest Eyes'' are on the American Library Association's ten most challenged books of 2006<ref>http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=151926<ref/>.

John Steinbeck

2008-02-23T05:15:44Z

Mrb:

'''John Steinbeck''' (b. 1902, d. 1968) was an [[American]] author. He wrote the [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1939), along with fifteen other novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories. In 1962 Steinbeck received the [[Nobel Prize]] for Literature.

Steinbeck grew up in and spent most of his writing career in [[California]]. Some of his works have been made into movies, including ''Cannery Row'' (1945), ''The Pearl'' (1947), ''Of Mice and Men'' (1939) and ''East of Eden'' (1952). Steinbeck was successful as a Hollywood writer, receiving an [[Academy Award]] nomination for Best Story in 1944 for [[Alfred Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock's]] ''Lifeboat''.

"Of Mice and Men" is number six on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most frequently censored books, 1990-2000 <ref>http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=85714<ref/>.

==References==

* http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html - John Steinbeck Center
* http://www.steinbeck.org/Bio.html - Biography
* http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html - Noble Prize Laureates

{{DEFAULTSORT: Steinbeck, John}}
[[Category:Authors]]

John Steinbeck

2008-02-23T05:15:18Z

Mrb:

'''John Steinbeck''' (b. 1902, d. 1968) was an [[American]] author. He wrote the [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1939), along with fifteen other novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories. In 1962 Steinbeck received the [[Nobel Prize]] for Literature.

Steinbeck grew up in and spent most of his writing career in [[California]]. Some of his works have been made into movies, including ''Cannery Row'' (1945), ''The Pearl'' (1947), ''Of Mice and Men'' (1939) and ''East of Eden'' (1952). Steinbeck was successful as a Hollywood writer, receiving an [[Academy Award]] nomination for Best Story in 1944 for [[Alfred Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock's]] ''Lifeboat''.

"Of Mice and Men" is number six on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most frequently censored books, 1990-2000 <ref>http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=85714<ref/>

==References==

* http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html - John Steinbeck Center
* http://www.steinbeck.org/Bio.html - Biography
* http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html - Noble Prize Laureates

{{DEFAULTSORT: Steinbeck, John}}
[[Category:Authors]]

John Steinbeck

2008-02-22T21:28:06Z

Mrb: New page: '''John Steinbeck''' (b. 1902, d. 1968) was an American author. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1939), along with fifteen other novels, six non-fict...

'''John Steinbeck''' (b. 1902, d. 1968) was an [[American]] author. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1939), along with fifteen other novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories. In 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Steinbeck grew up in and spent most of his writing career in [[California]]. Some of his works have been made into movies, including ''Cannery Row'' (1945), ''The Pearl'' (1947), and ''East of Eden'' (1952). Steinbeck was successful as a Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lifeboat''.

Rick Renzi

2008-02-22T18:39:26Z

Mrb: New page: '''Rick Renzi''' (b. 1958) is a conservative Republican politician who represents Arizona's 1st congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Renzi has endo...

'''Rick Renzi''' (b. 1958) is a [[conservative]] [[Republican]] politician who represents [[Arizona]]'s 1st congressional district in the US [[House of Representatives]].

Renzi has endorsed fellow Arizonan [[John McCain]]'s presidential bid.

In February 2008 Renzi was indicted on Federal charges including money laundering, wire fraud and extortion <ref>http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUffcJeMQAQIuhzLEJyOL5lOcInQD8UVEQ801</ref>. He has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2008.

National Rifle Association

2008-02-22T06:17:14Z

Mrb:

[[Image:National Rifle Association logo.png|National Rifle Association logo|thumb|250px]]
The '''National Rifle Association''' (or '''NRA''') is an advocacy group which promotes the right to bear arms as well as promoting interest in shooting sports. It runs training classes in gun use and safety, and publishes magazines of interest to gun owners. It is also dedicated to protecting Americans' [[Second Amendment]] rights.

The NRA was founded after the [[American Civil War]] by former Union soldiers seeking to improve the shooting skills of the population at large.

The NRA is non-partisan and has endorsed both [[Republican Party|Republicans]] and [[Democratic Party|Democrats]].

In 2004 the NRA successfully opposed renewal of the federal assault weapons ban of 1994, which banned many features of certain semiautomatic rifles and certain types of removable magazines, against a campaign to make the ban permanent and expand it.<ref>http://www.nra.org/Article.aspx?id=886</ref> The ban expired at midnight, September 13, 2004.{{fact}}

The NRA owns and operates the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, which is free to the public.

==Prominent Members==
*[[Michael Moore]]<ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel040403.asp</ref>
*[[George H.W. Bush]] (resigned 1995)
*[[Charlton Heston]]
*[[Larry Craig]]
*[[Mitt Romney]] (since August 2007)
*[[Dick Cheney]]
*[[Ted Nugent]]
*[[John Dingell]]
*[[Hunter S. Thompson]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nra.org National Rifle Association]

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Politics]]

Paul Newman

2008-02-21T16:41:58Z

Mrb: New page: '''Paul Newman''' (b. 1925) is a liberal American film actor. He is also the founder of a food company, Newman's Own, which donates profits to liberal charities. Newman has...

'''Paul Newman''' (b. 1925) is a [[liberal]] [[American]] film actor. He is also the founder of a food company, Newman's Own, which donates profits to [[liberal]] charities.

Newman has appeared on Broadway, in film, and on television. Some of his best-known roles were in Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Harper (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Towering Inferno (1974), Slap Shot (1977), The Verdict (1982), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and The Sting (1973). Fellow [[liberal]] actor [[Robert Redford]] appeared with Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting.

Newman appeared with his wife, [[liberal]] actress Joanne Woodward, in The Long, Hot Summer (1958), Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!, (1958), From the Terrace (1960), Paris Blues (1961), A New Kind of Love (1963), Winning (1969), WUSA (1970), The Drowning Pool (1975), Harry & Son (1984) and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990).

Newman is an auto racing enthusiast. He drove a Porsche, a German automobile, in Lemans, a European event, in 1979. As of 2007, he has not participated in a [[NASCAR]] race.

Conservative Christianity

2008-02-17T23:16:15Z

Mrb:

{{stub}}

'''Conservative Christianity''' is used to describe identified [[Christians]] who tend to follow [[conservative]] values. Some, but by no means all, members of the clergy identify as conservative Christian.

Conservative Christianity may refer to theologically conservative movements, which take many forms in modern Christianity. For example, [[Roman Catholic]]s who reject some of the [[Vatican II]] reforms might identify themselves as conservative Christians. Likewise, [[Anglican]]s who object to the ordination of women may be considered conservative Christians.

Conservative Christianity may refer to an opinion or advocacy position on certain political issues such as abortion, homosexuality, creationism, science education, taxation, affirmative action, gun control, treatment of prisoners, immigration, racial segregation, public education, global warming, capital punishment, and divorce.

[[Category:Christian movements]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Liberal denial

2008-02-17T23:07:59Z

Mrb:

'''Liberal denial''' is the tendency of [[liberals]] to conceal, deny or censor the truth for ideological reasons:

# that [[young mass murderers]] fit the profile of [[public school]]-trained [[atheism]]
# that the numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by Hollywood values, for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# that [[homeschoolers]] often do better than those who attend [[public school]]
# that [[culture]] affects [[politics]], and people's views and lifestyles
# that successful [[democracy]], both historically and logically, is the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]]<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# that [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and [[math]] aptitude
# that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down
# that [[gun control]] may increase [[crime]]
# that group [[prayer]] is censored from public school
# that reducing [[taxes]] stimulates the [[economy]]
# that choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]]
# that the [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed
# that privately-run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport
# that [[Universal Health Care|public health care]] is inferior medical care
# that [[union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities
# that [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# that banning [[same-sex marriage]] is analogous to banning [[polygamy]]
# that aggressive interrogation is often the only way to obtain answers from terrorists
# how the liberal [[ideology]] harms people
# how the liberal ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly youngsters
# that the Presidency of George W Bush has been fiscally conservative

Often [[liberal]]s refuse to admit that they are [[liberal]]s, in the hope of appearing more reasonable. [[Hillary Clinton]] refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a liberal. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a liberal during the 1988 presidential campaign. Only out of desperation did Dukakis admit that he was a liberal, and even then he admitted only that was a liberal like President [[Harry Truman]], who served 40 years earlier.

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:politics]]
[[category:liberals]]

Conservative Christianity

2008-02-17T22:20:38Z

Mrb:

{{stub}}

'''Conservative Christianity''' is used to describe identified [[Christians]] who tend to follow [[conservative]] values. Some, but by no means all, members of the clergy identify as conservative Christian.

Conservative Christianity may refer to theologically conservative movements, which take many forms in modern Christianity. For example, [[Roman Catholic]]s who reject some of the [[Vatican II]] reforms might identify themselves as conservative Christians. Likewise, [[Anglican]]s who object to the ordination of women may be considered conservative Christians.

Conservative Christianity may refer to an opinion or advocacy position on certain political issues such as abortion, homosexuality, creationism, science education, taxation, affirmative action, treatment of prisoners, immigration, racial segregation, public education, global warming, capital punishment, and divorce.

[[Category:Christian movements]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Desmond Tutu

2008-02-17T06:26:23Z

Mrb:

Archbishop '''Desmond Tutu''' was born in 1931 and is a [[South Africa]]n cleric and activist who won worldwide fame in the 1980’s as an opponent to [[apartheid]]. He called for boycotts of his own country in response to the racism in [[Africa]].

Tutu was the first black South African to be elected to be the [[Anglican]] Archbishop of Cape Town in South Africa. Tutu was also the primate of the Church of Province of South Africa. In 1984 Tutu was awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]. He also was the recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. On top of all this he also got the Magubela Prize for liberty in 1986.

Desmond often reminiscences about how he enjoyed it when white British policemen addressed him or his wife as Sir or Madam[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/phpnews/wmview.php?ArtID=533], not what he was used to in South Africa.

Bishop Tutu has criticized the schism in the Anglican Communion over the role of homosexuals in the church. At a 2006 conference in Nairobi he was quoted as being "deeply disturbed that in the face of some of the most horrendous problems facing Africa, we concentrate on 'what do I do in bed with whom'".

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tutu, Desmond}}

[[Category:Religious people]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]

Liberal denial

2008-02-14T23:29:04Z

Mrb:

'''Liberal denial''' is the tendency of [[liberals]] to conceal, deny or censor:

*examples of how the liberal [[ideology]] harms people
*one's own liberal ideology
*how the liberal ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly youngsters

[[Hillary Clinton]], for example, refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a liberal. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a liberal during the 1988 presidential campaign, however he later declared himself to be a liberal, in the sense that President [[Harry Truman]] who served 40 years earlier, was a liberal.

There are also specific examples of liberals denying, for ideological reasons, facts that are plainly true:

# that the numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by Hollywood values, for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# that [[homeschoolers]] often do better than those who attend [[public school]]
# that [[culture]] affects [[politics]], and people's views and lifestyles
# that successful [[democracy]], both historically and logically, is the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]]<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# that [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and [[math]] aptitude
# that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down
# that [[gun control]] may increase [[crime]]
# that group [[prayer]] is censored from public school
# that reducing [[taxes]] stimulates the [[economy]]
# that choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]]
# that the [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed
# that privately-run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport
# that [[Universal Health Care|public health care]] is inferior medical care
# that [[union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities
# that [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# that same-sex civil unions are a threat to marriage
# that [[torture]] is an effective and appropriate means for gathering information from prisoners

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:politics]]

Liberal denial

2008-02-14T06:29:04Z

Mrb:

'''Liberal denial''' is the tendency of [[liberals]] to conceal, deny or censor:

*examples of how the liberal [[ideology]] harms people
*one's own liberal ideology
*how the liberal ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly youngsters

[[Hillary Clinton]], for example, refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a liberal. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a liberal during the 1988 presidential campaign, however he later declared himself to be a liberal, in the sense that President [[Harry Truman]] who served 40 years earlier, was a liberal.

There are also specific examples of liberals denying, for ideological reasons, facts that are plainly true:

# that the numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by Hollywood values, for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# that [[homeschoolers]] often do better than those who attend [[public school]]
# that [[culture]] affects [[politics]], and people's views and lifestyles
# that successful [[democracy]], both historically and logically, is the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]]<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# that [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and [[math]] aptitude
# that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down
# that [[gun control]] may increase [[crime]]
# that group [[prayer]] is censored from public school
# that reducing [[taxes]] stimulates the [[economy]]
# that choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]]
# that the [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed
# that privately-run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport
# that [[Universal Health Care|public health care]] is inferior medical care
# that [[union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities
# that [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# that same-sex civil unions are a threat to marriage

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:politics]]

Tom Lantos

2008-02-11T20:00:06Z

Mrb:

'''Tom Lantos''' (b. 1928; d. February 11, 2008) was a congressman from [[California]]'s 12th Congressional District. He was a member of the [[Democratic]] party, and the only [[Holocaust]] survivor ever to serve in [[Congress]]. He died as a result of cancer.

Congressman Lantos was born in Budapest, [[Hungary]], and participated in the resistance against the [[Nazis]] during the [[German]] occupation of Hungary. He emigrated to the United States in 1947.

Congressman Lantos enjoyed a 91% rating from the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] for 2005–2006; a 100% rating from the [[AFL-CIO]] for 2006; a 0% rating from the [[Family Research Council]] for 2006; a 100% rating from [[NARAL]]/Pro-Choice America for 2006; and an F from the [[National Rifle Association]] for 2006.

Tom Lantos

2008-02-11T16:30:25Z

Mrb: New page: '''Tom Lantos''' (b. 1928; d. February 11, 2008) was a congressman from California's 12th Congressional District. He was a member of the Democratic party, and the only [[Holocaust...

'''Tom Lantos''' (b. 1928; d. February 11, 2008) was a congressman from [[California]]'s 12th Congressional District. He was a member of the [[Democratic]] party, and the only [[Holocaust]] survivor ever to serve in [[Congress]]. He died as a result of cancer.

Congressman Lantos was born in Budapest, [[Hungary]], and participated in the resistance against the [[Nazis]] during the [[German]] occupation of Hungary. He emigrated to the United States in 1947.

Congressman Lantos enjoyed a 91% rating from the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] for 2005–2006; a 100% rating from the [[AFL-CIO]] for 2006; a 0% rating from the [[Family Research Council]] for 2006; a 100% rating from [[NARAL]]/Pro-Choice America for 2006%; and an F from the [[National Rifle Association]] for 2006.

Habitat for Humanity

2008-02-10T21:08:28Z

Mrb:

'''Habitat for Humanity''' is an ecumenical [[Christian]] organization devoted to building simple, decent, and affordable housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit. The organization was founded in 1976. By 2004 Habitat for Humanity had built 50,000 houses in the U.S. and more than 175,100 around the world. Although headquartered in the United States, two thirds of Habitat construction takes place in other countries. In 2005 Habitat built its 200,000th house, bringing the number of people sheltered in Habitat houses worldwide to one million. Former U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] and first lady [[Rosalynn Carter]] became involved with Habitat for Humanity in 1984 and have since become the organization's highest-profile proponents. The Carters have been involved in fund-raising and publicity as well as actual home-building. The 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project took place from 30 October 2006 to 4 November 2006 in India.

Habitat for Humanity

2008-02-10T21:07:56Z

Mrb: New page: '''Habitat for Humanity''' is an ecumenical Christian organization devoted to building simple, decent, and affordable housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no ...

'''Habitat for Humanity''' is an ecumenical [[Christian]] organization devoted to building simple, decent, and affordable housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit. The organization was founded in 1976.

By 2004 Habitat for Humanity had built 50,000 houses in the U.S. and more than 175,100 around the world. Although headquartered in the United States, two thirds of Habitat construction takes place in other countries. In 2005 Habitat built its 200,000th house, bringing the number of people sheltered in Habitat houses worldwide to one million.

Former U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] and first lady [[Rosalynn Carter]] became involved with Habitat for Humanity in 1984 and have since become the organization's highest-profile proponents. The Carters have been involved in fund-raising and publicity as well as actual home-building. The 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project took place from 30 October 2006 to 4 November 2006 in India.

Jimmy Carter

2008-02-10T20:59:11Z

Mrb:

{{President
|image=Carter.jpg
|seq=39
|term_start=January 20, 1977
|term_end=January 20, 1981
|party=Democratic
|vp=Walter Mondale
|previous=Gerald Ford
|next=Ronald Reagan
|birth_date=October 1, 1924
|birth_place=Plains, Georgia, USA
|death_date=
|death_place=
|spouse=Rosalynn Carter
|spouse2=
|religion=[[Baptist]]
}}
'''James Earl Carter, Jr.''' was the 39th [[President of the United States of America]] following [[Gerald Ford]] and preceding [[Ronald Reagan]]. He was a [[Democrat]] who served from 1977-1981, after being the Governor of [[Georgia]].

Carter is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and served in the Navy from 1946 through 1953, rising to the rank of Lieutenant.

His difficulty in overcoming the challenges that were presented to the nation during his time in office helped lead to the election of [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1980. He has been unusually active as an ex-president, serving as an election monitor in many emerging democracies, working with [[Habitat for Humanity]], and as a self-proclaimed "peace advocate", was recognized with the [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]]. In recent years, he has become very controversial because of his alleged [[Anti-Semitism|anti-semitic]] sentiments.

==Early Years==
Carter was born and raised on his father's farm in Georgia. He entered the Naval Academy at [[Annapolis]] and graduated from there in 1946. Shortly afterwards, on July 7, he married Rosalynn Smith. Carter worked in submarines, until he resigned in 1953. He became a peanut farmer afterwards. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 11-33. </ref>

==Early Political Service==
Carter entered politics by running for the Georgia State Senate. He almost lost a close race against Homer Moore, but Carter beat him in the final tally. He worked hard in the Legislature and went on to run for Governor of Georgia in 1966. Although he failed in 1966, in 1970 he managed to win the office of Governor. He was known as a supporter of equal rights for blacks and had the picture of Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] hung in the Georgia state capitol. He went on regular trips to Europe and the Middle East. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 35-40. </ref>

==[[United States presidential election, 1976|1976 Campaign]]==
Carter officially announced his involvment in the race for President. Despite being a relatively politically inexperienced candidate, he turned it to his advantage. He was able to avoid the [[Watergate]] scandal and claim a clean history. He eventually managed to win the Democratic nomination and chose Minnesota Senator, [[Walter Mondale]], as his running mate. Carter based his campaign on his reputation, political freshness and being a honest, born-again christian. His opponent [[Gerald Ford]] campaigned on his record as a Congressman and success in recovering from Watergate. Carter wavered slightly after the first presidential debate, but managed to regain lost ground over the next few appearances. Carter managed to win the general election over Ford. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 45-57. </ref>

==Presidency==
Carter's presidency was marked by a period of American hegemony being challenged abroad and economic recession and [[stagflation]] striking at home. Carter's presidency was marked by retrenchment, after the disappointing agony that had been the [[Vietnam War]], and economic [[stagflation]] churning at home.

In the midst of the 1980 campaign, a pro-U.S. monarchy was toppled by the 1979 [[Iran|Iranian]] Revolution and dozens of [[Iran Hostage Crisis|American hostages were taken]] inside the American embassy by Islamic fundamentalist revolutionaries after Carter gave sanctuary to exiled dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. With the international outrage at the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] invasion of [[Afghanistan]] later the same year, Carter was rendered impotent, as America saw its influence declining abroad.

Despite Carter's own Democratic Party controlling both Houses of Congress, and the White House he failed to reform the tax system, and to reduce the size of the government bureaucracy, as promised during the 1976 campaign, or to pass the Martin Luther King holiday.

He has also been criticized for not doing enough to promote his proclaimed human rights foreign policy stance in his administration, such as continuing to support the [[Indonesia]]n government even while it was implicated in the commission of acts of genocide in the occupation of East Timor.

Carter's response to Soviet aggression against Afghanistan was to single out American farmers who suffered terribly when he terminated the Russian Wheat Deal, a keystone Nixon [[Detente]] initiative to establish trade with USSR and lessen [[Cold War]] tensions.

He was defeated in the [[United States presidential election, 1980|1980 presidential election]] by Ronald Reagan by nearly ten percentage points. [[Republican Party|Republicans]] also gained control of the Senate for the first time in twenty-five years. The electoral college vote was a landslide, with 489 votes (representing 44 states) for Reagan and 49 for Carter (representing 6 states and the District of Columbia).

Carter personally opposed [[abortion]] but only recently, more than a quarter of a century after his presidency, expressed his opposition in public.

===Stagflation===
A major issue President Carter failed to deal with was [[inflation]], caused especially by continued high levels of government spending and the rising price of imported oil, which was the major source of energy for many industries. The [[Misery index]], an indicator of economic hardship that Carter popularized and frequently mentioned in the [[United States presidential election of 1976|presidential election of 1976]], rose 50% in four years.

Government spending caused interest rates to rise to unprecedented levels (above 12 percent per year). Inflation and interest rates reached their highest levels since [[World War II]]. The rapid change in interest rates led to disintermediation of bank deposits, which sowed the seeds of the [[Savings and Loan crisis]]. Investments in fixed income were becoming less valuable. Holders of both bonds, and pensions being paid to retired people had their life savings wiped out. The stagnant growth of the economy (causing unemployment), in combination with a high rate of inflation, has often been called [[stagflation]], an unprecedented situation in American economics.

[[Bert Lance]], Carter's appointee to head the [[Office of Management and Budget]] which manages the U.S. federal budget, was forced to resign when his past bank overdrafts and "check kiting" schemes in Georgia were exposed.

==Post-presidency==
[[Image:Palestine peace not apartheid.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Cover of Jimmy Carter's book, ''Peace Not Apartheid'', which accuses [[Israel]] of practicing racism.]]
Carter has been active in foreign affairs since his presidency. His continued work mediating international disputes, organizing election observations, and working with organizations on disease and hunger were cited when he was awarded the 2002 [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]]. In his Nobel lecture, Carter declared his support for "international law":

<blockquote>
Our President, [[Woodrow Wilson]], was honored here for promoting the [[League of Nations]], whose two basic concepts were profoundly important: "collective security" and "self-determination." Now they are embedded in international law. Violations of these premises during the last half-century have been tragic failures, as was vividly demonstrated when the Soviet Union attempted to conquer Afghanistan and when Iraq invaded Kuwait. <ref>[http://jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/nobel.phtml Text of Carter's Nobel Lecture] Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, 2002.</ref>
</blockquote>

In a October 2000 survey of 132 prominent professors of history, law, and political science, President Carter was grouped in the "Below Average" group, ranked 30th, with a mean score of 2.47 out of 5.00.<ref>Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House (New York, Wall Street Journal Book, 2004)</ref> This survey, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and the conservative Federalist Society, ranked President Carter ahead of Richard Nixon, and below George H.W. Bush.

In 2001 as President Clinton exited office and handed out many dubious and questionable pardons, some to [[terrorist]]s and others which appeared bought and paid for, Carter blasted President Clinton's actions and referred to them as "disgraceful".

In Jimmy Carter's latest book, ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid'', he wrote:

In Jimmy Carter's latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid", he appeared to endorse Arab terrorism against Israel as a tactic to achieve political ends, he wrote:
<blockquote>
It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.
</blockquote>
The sentiment was widely criticized. He apologized for the wording of that sentence, but not for his larger message.<ref>Washington Post, January 24, 2007 [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/23/AR2007012301668.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/books]</ref>

*His 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has attracted charges of plagiarism. It caused Professor Kenneth Stein to resign from the Carter Center because of its depiction of Israel through three decades of diplomatic and military dealings with the Palestinians. Mr. Stein had served as an aide to Mr. Carter during most of those years. He considers the book deceitful and malicious. As the book's title adumbrates, Jimmy compares Israel with the white supremacist regime of old South Africa. Fourteen members of the Carter Center's advisory board have resigned over the book. In March, Jimmy explained these resignations to an audience at George Washington University by saying, "They all happen to be Jewish Americans." [http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20070524-083911-8313r.htm]

== UFO Sighting ==
[[Image:Carter Sighting Report 2.gif|thumb|right|President Carter's report the planet may have been visited by space aliens.]]
Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. In 1975 Carter told a ''[[Washington Post]]'' reporter, " A light appeared and disappeared in the sky . . . I think the light was beckoning me to run in the California primary." <ref>[http://www.presidentialufo.com/jimmy.htm Jimmy Carter UFO] </ref> He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization. <ref>[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm President Jimmy Carter's Actual UFO Sighting Report]</ref> During his presidential campaign, Carter promised to release the truth about any alleged UFO cover-up.

Through Stanford Research Institute, Mr. Alfred Webre was Principal Investigator for a proposed civilian scientific study of extraterrestrial communication presented to and developed with interested Carter White House staff. This took place during the period from May 1977 until the fall of 1977.

==Voyager Probe==
President Carter placed this official statement on the Voyager space probe <ref>http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=555</ref> for its trip outside the solar system on June 16, 1977: "We cast this message into the cosmos . . . Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some - - perhaps many - - may have inhabited planets and space faring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: We are trying to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope some day, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of Galactic Civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe."<ref>http://www.presidentialufo.com/jimmy.htm</ref>

==See also==
* [[Carter Doctrine]]

==Further reading==
*[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13265 Carter the worst ex-president -- Steven Hayward]
*[http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=7&blog_id=59&blog_post_id=935 Jimmy Carter is a liar], Alan Dershowitz, ''Jerusalem Post'', March 13 2007.
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901541.html Jimmy Carter's Jewish Problem] by Deborah Lipstadt.

==References==
<references/>

{{USPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Jimmy}}
[[Category:Presidents of the United States|Carter, Jimmy]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace|Carter, Jimmy]]

Jim Wallis

2008-02-07T15:10:44Z

Mrb:

'''Jim Wallis''' (b. June 4, 1948) is an Evangelical Christian writer, and the editor of ''Sojourners Magazine''. Wallis is also known for his criticism of the fiscal and foreign policies advocated by the religious right.

Wallis became active in the civil rights movement as a young man in the 1960s. He graduated from Michigan State University, and then attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois where he joined with other young seminarians in establishing the community that eventually became Sojourners.

His books include:

* ''God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It'' (2005)

* ''Faith Works: How Faith Based Organizations Are Changing Lives, Neighborhoods, and America'' (2000)

* ''The Soul of Politics: Beyond "Religious Right" and "Secular Left"'' (1995).

Reverend Wallis is also the convener of Call to Renewal, an interfaith effort to end poverty.

In discussing the 2004 American presidential elections, Wallis said "Jesus didn’t speak at all about homosexuality. There are about 12 verses in the Bible that touch on that question ... [t]here are thousands of verses on poverty. I don’t hear a lot of that conversation." (Mother Jones Magazine, March 10, 2005)

Wallis, along with fellow Evangelical Christian Tony Campolo, is a founder of the [[Red-letter Christian]] movement.

Jim Wallis

2008-02-07T15:10:01Z

Mrb: New page: '''Jim Wallis''' (b. June 4, 1948) is an Evangelical Christian writer, known as the editor of ''Sojourners Magazine''. Wallis is also known for his criticism of the fiscal and foreign pol...

'''Jim Wallis''' (b. June 4, 1948) is an Evangelical Christian writer, known as the editor of ''Sojourners Magazine''. Wallis is also known for his criticism of the fiscal and foreign policies advocated by the religious right.

Wallis became active in the civil rights movement as a young man in the 1960s. He graduated from Michigan State University, and then attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois where he joined with other young seminarians in establishing the community that eventually became Sojourners.

His books include:

* ''God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It'' (2005)

* ''Faith Works: How Faith Based Organizations Are Changing Lives, Neighborhoods, and America'' (2000)

* ''The Soul of Politics: Beyond "Religious Right" and "Secular Left"'' (1995).

Reverend Wallis is also the convener of Call to Renewal, an interfaith effort to end poverty.

In discussing the 2004 American presidential elections, Wallis said "Jesus didn’t speak at all about homosexuality. There are about 12 verses in the Bible that touch on that question ... [t]here are thousands of verses on poverty. I don’t hear a lot of that conversation." (Mother Jones Magazine, March 10, 2005)

Wallis, along with fellow Evangelical Christian Tony Campolo, is a founder of the [[Red-letter Christian]] movement.

Red-letter Christian

2008-02-06T16:14:50Z

Mrb:

'''Red-letter Christians''' is a movement within [[Christianity]], based on the belief that Evangelicalism is exploited by right-wing politicians; and that a new Evangelical movement can be created, focusing on the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly in regard to social issues. ''Red-Letter'' refers to the Red Letter edition of the [[New Testament]], with verses printed in red letters to emphasize the actual words spoken by Jesus. This movement was initiated by authors [[Tony Campolo]], [[Jim Wallis]], and others who felt the Religious Right places too much emphasis on abortion and homosexuality, and not enough on promoting biblical values such as peace, supporting families, and the elimination of poverty. The social issues valued by Red-Letter Christians include taking care of the poor, spreading the Gospel, and loving one's enemies. They believe these are the issues that Jesus spoke of directly, and therefore these issues should be priorities. Other issues such as homosexual rights and abortion are viewed as important but over-emphasized by both liberals and conservatives.

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Religion]]

Red-letter Christian

2008-02-05T04:40:45Z

Mrb:

Red-letter Christian

2008-02-05T04:40:23Z

Mrb: New page: '''Red-letter Christians''' is a movement within Christianity, based on the belief that Evangelicalism is exploited by right-wing politicians; and that a new Evangelical movement can b...

'''Red-letter Christians''' is a movement within [[Christianity]], based on the belief that Evangelicalism is exploited by right-wing politicians; and that a new Evangelical movement can be created, focusing on the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly in regard to social issues. ''Red-Letter" refers to the Red Letter edition of the [[New Testament]], with verses printed in red letters to emphasize the actual words spoken by Jesus. This movement was initiated by authors [[Tony Campolo]], [[Jim Wallis]], and others who felt the Religious Right places too much emphasis on abortion and homosexuality, and not enough on promoting biblical values such as peace, supporting families, and the elimination of poverty. The social issues valued by Red-Letter Christians include taking care of the poor, spreading the Gospel, and loving one's enemies. They believe these are the issues that Jesus spoke of directly, and therefore these issues should be priorities. Other issues such as homosexual rights and abortion are viewed as important but over-emphasized by both liberals and conservatives.

John McCain

2008-01-31T01:46:34Z

Mrb:

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''John Sidney McCain III''' (born August 29, 1936)<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> is the senior Senator from the state of [[Arizona]], having served 20 years after replacing [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1986. He is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> McCain is a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 Election]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref> McCain is a Baptist.<ref> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296973,00.html McCain Identifies Himself as a Baptist</ref>

McCain has been married twice. His first marriage, to Carol Shepp, ended in divorce in 1980. His second and current wife is Cindy Lou Hensley.

==Early Life==
McCain was born in the [[Panama]] Canal Zone. He was educated in Alexandria, [[Virginia]] before receiving his Bachelors of Science from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1958.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref>

==Military Career==
McCain served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. He was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 during the Vietnam Conflict and held as a Prisoner of War for seven years.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> McCain graduated from the National War College in 1974. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1981, as a Captain, he had been commended with the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross.<ref> [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref>

==Political Career==
McCain was elected to the [[House of Representatives]] from Arizona's 1st district in 1982 and served two terms before being elected to the [[Senate]] in 1986. In 2000, he pursued the presidency but lost his bid for the Republican nomination to [[George W. Bush]], the first time he had lost an election.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> John McCain is currently running for presidency of the United States as a Republican.

==Political Record==

#National defense: McCain, a veteran, has been strong on national defense and a consistent supporter of the [[Iraq War]].
#[[Abortion]]: On Senate votes directly concerning abortion, McCain has voted on the pro-life side.
#Government Spending. McCain has vigorously advocated for the elimination of so-called "[[pork-barrel]]" spending. He voted against President Bush's Medicare Prescription Drug Act on the grounds that it was too costly.
#[[Evolution]]: McCain's position is that [[intelligent design]] should be taught along with the [[theory of evolution]].
#[[Campaign finance]]: In 2002, McCain joined with liberal Democrat Russell Feingold to prohibit independent groups from advertising about a candidate within many weeks of an election. This law prohibits ads that do not even recommend for whom to vote, but merely urge people to contact their representatives concerning a vote that the representatives will make in Congress. A court recently declared this unconstitutional.
#[[Same-sex marriage]]: In 2006, McCain joined Democrats and liberal Republicans in voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment to protect traditional marriage. Later, on ''Hardball'', McCain declared, "On the issue of the gay marriage, I believe that people want to have private ceremonies, that's fine." Also, McCain's home state of Arizona was the only state to defeat a marriage referendum (in 2006), as McCain did nothing to support it.
#[[Gambling]]: The McCain-Feingold campaign finance law allows Indian nations (which get nearly all their money from unregulated casinos) to make unlimited political donations, even though political donations by American citizens are strictly limited and political spending by corporations is prohibited.
#Tax cuts: McCain opposed President George W. Bush's tax cuts, on the argument that cutting taxes without also cutting spending was not actually a tax cut, but was a tax on future generations. He now supports keeping the Bush tax cuts in place.
#Criticism of the religious right: In his unsuccessful campaign in 2000, McCain criticized elements of the religious right.
#[[Gun control]]: In 2002, McCain supported [[gun control]] by joining with [[Democrat]] [[Joseph Lieberman]] to push legislation that would shut down gun shows.<ref>[http://www.haciendapub.com/gunpage10.html "Gun Shows and Gun Control: McCain Is at It Again!"]</ref>
#Immigration: In 2005-2006, McCain joined with liberal Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] to support a sweeping bill that was favorable to illegal aliens. It has not passed.
#"Gang of 14": On May 23, 2005, McCain was part of a group of 14 Senators who blocked the planned "nuclear option" for confirming blocked Republican nominees for the bench. Under this compromise a few judicial nominees were allowed to be confirmed (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor), but others (e.g., Henry Saad) remained blocked and had to withdraw.
#Senate Attendance Record. McCain has missed 33% of the Senate votes in early 2007, far more than the leading Democratic contenders.<ref>http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0331missedvotes0331.html</ref>

== Electability ==
McCain has the reputation as an independent-minded maverick <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR2007031402301.html McCain Fighting to Recapture Maverick Spirit of 2000 Bid], [[Michael Shear|Michael D. Shear]], ''[[Washington Post]]'', March 15, 2007</ref> and Media Darling <ref>[http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070305/blumenthal McCain Mutiny], [[Max Blumenthal]], ''[[The Nation]]'', February 21, 2007</ref>. "McCain is not only not conservative enough; he has also has built a reputation as a maverick by stabbing his party in the back -- not in furtherance of conservative principles but by betraying them. McCain delights in sticking it to his colleagues while winning accolades from the [[Mainstream media|mainstream liberal media]]." <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24669 'Maverick' and 'Conservative' Aren't Synonyms], [[David Limbaugh]], ''[[Human Events]]'', 01/25/2008</ref>

John McCain was a member of the [[Keating Five]], a scandal relating to the [[Savings and Loan Crisis]]. The Senate Ethics Committee criticized him for "questionable conduct." His Democratic opponent, or the media, could publicize this.

John McCain has cancer (melanoma) and has undergone multiple operations for it.<ref>http://www.riskworld.com/PressRel/2001/01q3/PR01a027.htm</ref> Cancer was an issue that hurt the presidential candidacy of Paul Tsongas in 1992.

John McCain will turn 71 years old before the first primary, making him one of the oldest candidates to seek the presidency. Several issues relating to McCain's advanced aged and health have been discussed in the media.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/18/mccain.ap/index.html?eref=rss_politics</ref>

Among evangelicals, who form a multi-million vote bloc who were essential to electing President [[George W. Bush]], John McCain is weak on trust. [[James Dobson]], a leading evangelical, has already declared that he "would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances."<ref>http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/16473337.htm</ref> McCain has attempted to make amends with Dobson and the late evangelical leader [[Jerry Falwell]], including speaking at Falwell's Liberty University in an attempt to patch his relations with evangelicals.

McCain and Ron Paul[http://www.ronpaul2008.com/about/] are the only presidential candidates in either party to have served in the military.

== Fundraising ==

McCain has struggled to raise money for his campaign, a sign of weakness for a frontrunner. "Former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]] raised $23 million for his presidential campaign in the first three months of [2007], almost doubling the total of top Republican contender John McCain. McCain, an [[Arizona]] senator, brought in about $12.5 million in the first quarter, his campaign said. 'We had hoped to do better,' said Terry Nelson, his campaign manager. Former [[New York]] Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]] said he raised $15 million, including more than $10 million in March alone."<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aZ7SuEo0wuMM&refer=home</ref>

== Votes Missed ==

As of August 2007, McCain had missed more votes during the current session of Congress than any Senator other than [[South Dakota]] [[Democrat]] [[Tim Johnson]], who had suffered a brain hemorrhage that had kept him from Congress. He had missed over 48% of his votes. <ref>Lawrence Journal-World, August 10, 2007</ref>

==See Also==
* [[John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign]]
* [[Previous Breaking News/John McCain|Articles about '''John McCain''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

==References==

<references/>

{{2008 presidential candidates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain, John}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]

David Brock

2008-01-29T17:07:28Z

Mrb:

'''David Brock''' (b. 1962) is a former conservative American journalist and author. Since the late 1990s, Brock's work has been less supportive of conservative causes. He is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and at least four books:

* ''The Real Anita Hill''. Free Press. (1993)
* ''The Seduction of Hillary Rodham Clinton.'' (1996)
* ''Blinded by the Right. The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.'' (2002)
* ''The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy''. (2004)

In a July 1997 article in Esquire magazine, Brock recanted much of what he had written about [[Anita Hill]], and apologized to her. Brock formed the liberal political organization [[Media Matters for America]] in about 2004, and is currently employed there.

David Brock

2008-01-28T14:43:11Z

Mrb:

'''David Brock''' (b. 1962) is a former conservative American journalist and author. Since the late 1990s, Brock's work has been less supportive of conservative causes. He is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and at least four books:

* ''The Real Anita Hill''. Free Press. (1993)
* ''The Seduction of Hillary Rodham Clinton.'' (1996)
* ''Blinded by the Right. The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.'' (2002)
* ''The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy''. (2004)

In a July 1997 article in Esquire magazine, Brock recanted much of what he had written about Anita Hill, and apologized to her. Brock formed the liberal political organization Media Matters for America in about 2004, and is currently employed there.

David Brock

2008-01-28T05:48:07Z

Mrb: New page: '''David Brock''' (b. 1962) is a former conservative American journalist and author. Since the late, 1990s, Brock's work has been less supportive of conservative causes. He is the author...

'''David Brock''' (b. 1962) is a former conservative American journalist and author. Since the late, 1990s, Brock's work has been less supportive of conservative causes. He is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and at least four books:

* ''The Real Anita Hill''. Free Press. (1993)
* ''The Seduction of Hillary Rodham Clinton.'' (1996)
* ''Blinded by the Right. The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.'' (2002)
* ''The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy''. (2004)

In a July 1997 article in Esquire magazine, Brock recanted much of what he had writen about Anita Hill, and apologized to her. Brock formed the liberal political organization Media Matters for America in about 2004, and is currently employed there.

Roger Stone

2008-01-25T02:09:53Z

Mrb:

'''Roger Stone''' is an American campaign consultant and lobbyist. Nearly all of his political work is on behalf of [[Republicans]]. In the 2008 US Presidential election, Stone launched a 527 political organization called Citizens United Not Timid to educate the public about "what [[Hillary Clinton]] really is".

Roger Stone

2008-01-25T02:09:31Z

Mrb:

Roger Stone

2008-01-25T02:09:12Z

Mrb: New page: '''Roger Stone''' is an American campaign consultant and lobbyist. Nearly all of his political work is on behalf of [[Republicans]. In the 2008 US Presidential election, Stone launched a...

'''Roger Stone''' is an American campaign consultant and lobbyist. Nearly all of his political work is on behalf of [[Republicans]. In the 2008 US Presidential election, Stone launched a 527 political organization called Citizens United Not Timid to educate the public about "what Hillary Clinton really is".

Edward M. Kennedy

2008-01-14T20:25:17Z

Mrb:

[[Image:Tedkennedy.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''Edward Moore ("Ted" or "Teddy") Kennedy''' (b. 1932) is the second longest-serving [[United States|U.S.]] [[Senator]], a [[Democrat]] from [[Massachusetts]]. His family has been a major part of the Democratic Party for almost 50 years, beginning with his older brothers President [[John F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1963) and [[Robert F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1968). Ted Kennedy was long assumed to become the Democratic nominee for president himself, but the [[Chappaquiddick]] scandal in 1969 caused him to delay his candidacy until 1980, when he was unable to overcome the power of incumbency enjoyed by Democratic President [[Jimmy Carter]].

Ted Kennedy has always represented the most [[liberal]] side of the Democratic Party, from support for taxpayer-funded abortion to same-sex marriage. Senator [[Robert Byrd]] defeated him for a leadership position (Majority Whip) in the Senate in 1971 and Kennedy has never served as Majority Leader. His political power behind the scenes is undisputed.

Kennedy is a 1956 graduate of Harvard. He served two years in the [[United States Army]]. He graduated from the University of Virginia law school in 1959. Kennedy is a practicing Roman Catholic. He is the father of Congressman [[Patrick J. Kennedy]].

==[[Chappaquiddick]] Scandal==
On July 18, 1969, Senator Kennedy drove away from a party on the island of Martha's Vineyard with an attractive young woman named Mary Jo Kopechne. In what he later described as an accident, Kennedy made an unusual turn and then drove his vehicle off a bridge connecting [[Chappaquiddick]] Island to Martha's Vineyard. The car landed in a pond, where Kopechne then drowned. Kennedy did not report the incident to the police until the next morning, and his [[Chappaquiddick|statement]] then was implausible to many Americans.

This death became a national scandal and hurt Kennedy's image. He entered a plea of guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury, but did not serve any time in jail in a sentence criticized for its leniency towards a member of a prominent family. In an additional criticized decision, no autopsy was performed on Kopechne despite the presence of illegality and unanswered questions about her death.

==Presidential Campaign==
Kennedy was frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 1972 and 1976. However, he chose not to run due to his controversial past and claimed to have family concerns after his two brothers were assassinated. But in 1980 he decided to primary incumbent Democratic President, [[Jimmy Carter]]. Despite Carter's unpopularity, he won the primary and eventually lost to [[Ronald Reagan]].

==U.S. Senate==
Kennedy has gained a reputation as a very [[liberal]] Senator, even further to the left than most Democrats. On [[abortion]] he has a very anti-life record. He voted against confirming Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States and was in the minority of his own party to vote against confirming Judge John Roberts to the Court. On [[Immigration]] Kennedy has been a strong supporter of amnesty for Illegal Aliens. He voted against the war in [[Iraq]] and is also one of only five Senators who say they support gay marriage.

In addition to many other bills, Kennedy played a key role in the crafting the language in the [[No Child Left Behind]] Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), a massive [[education]] bill signed into law by Republican President [[George W. Bush]].

He is currently Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where the first bill he pushed through was an increase in the minimum wage by $2.10, to $7.25.

Kennedy's staff wrote much of the 2007 immigration bill, which failed two votes for [[cloture]] despite support by President [[George W. Bush]].

==External link==
*[http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/chappaquiddick.htm FBI FOIA Investigation on Chappaquiddick]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Kennedy, Ted}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]

National Rifle Association

2008-01-06T21:46:54Z

Mrb:

[[Image:National Rifle Association logo.png|National Rifle Association logo|thumb|250px]]
The '''National Rifle Association''' (or '''NRA''') is an advocacy group which promotes the right to bear arms as well as promoting interest in shooting sports. It runs training classes in gun use and safety, and publishes magazines of interest to gun owners. It is also dedicated to protecting Americans' [[Second Amendment]] rights.

The NRA was founded after the [[American Civil War]] by former Union soldiers seeking to improve the shooting skills of the population at large.

The NRA is non-partisan and has endorsed both [[Republican Party|Republicans]] and [[Democratic Party|Democrats]].

In 2004 the NRA successfully opposed renewal of the federal assault weapons ban of 1994, which banned many features of certain semiautomatic rifles and certain types of removable magazines, against a campaign to make the ban permanent and expand it.{{fact}} The ban expired at midnight, September 13, 2004.{{fact}}

The NRA owns and operates the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, which is free to the public.

==Prominent Members==
*[[Michael Moore]]
*[[George H.W. Bush]] (resigned 1995)
*[[Charlton Heston]]
*[[Larry Craig]]
*[[Mitt Romney]] (since August 2007)
*[[Dick Cheney]]
*[[Ted Nugent]]
*[[John Dingell]]
*[[Hunter S. Thompson]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nra.org National Rifle Association]

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Politics]]

Anita Hill

2008-01-05T22:59:26Z

Mrb: New page: '''Anita Hill''' (b. July 30, 1956) is a law professor at Brandeis University. She is best known for her testimony during confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas, whose [[US Supreme...

'''Anita Hill''' (b. July 30, 1956) is a law professor at Brandeis University. She is best known for her testimony during confirmation hearings for [[Clarence Thomas]], whose [[US Supreme Court]] appointment was confirmed by a 52-48 Senate vote in 1991. Hill's testimony focused on Thomas' actions ten years earlier, when he was her supervisor at the [[U.S. Department of Education]], and later at the [[U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]]. Hill's testimony described sexual harassment. Hill stood by her testimony in her 1998 autobigraphy ''Speaking Truth to Power''. Hill was the subject of a 1993 book by [[David Brock]], ''The Real Anita Hill''. Brock later apologized to Hill and recanted much of ''The Real Anita Hill''.

Boy Scouts v. Dale

2008-01-02T02:26:04Z

Mrb:

In ''Boy Scouts v. Dale'', 530 U.S. 640 (2000), a 5-4 [[U.S. Supreme Court]] held that the [[Boy Scouts]] have a constitutional right (freedom of association) to prohibit [[homosexual]]s from serving as scout leaders. James Dale, the plaintiff, was an Eagle Scout. His membership in the Boy Scouts was terminated when the Monmouth Council (New Jersey) of the BSA became aware of Dale's sexual orientation.

Chief Justice [[William Rehnquist]] wrote the opinion for the Court.
[[category:United States Supreme Court Cases]]
[[Category:First Amendment]]

Boy Scouts of America

2008-01-02T02:22:10Z

Mrb:

The '''Boy Scouts of America''' was founded on February 8, 1910 by James West. The movement began two years earlier in England, where Lieutenant-General [[Robert Baden-Powell|Sir Robert Baden-Powell]], a hero of the Boer Wars, founded the Boy Scouts.

Today the Scout Movement is the largest voluntary youth group in the world. Its membership exceeds 28 million, counting boys and girls. Most (95 of 155 National Scout Organizations) are now mixed at at least some ages.

Baden-Powell wrote in a pamphlet "Scouting & Christianity" (1917): "Scouting is nothing less than applied Christianity." Since then, various Scouting Organizations have been founded for members of other religions, or which are not specific to any religion.

Many presidents have praised and addressed the Boy Scouts over the years. President [[Calvin Coolidge]] said this to a group of Boy Scouts in 1924:

<blockquote>The three fundamentals of scouthood are reverence for nature ... reverence for law ... and reverence for God. It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Doubters do not achieve. ... No man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important, and that his work, well done, is part of an unending plan.</blockquote>

In designing the Scouting program, Baden-Powell drew ideas from the Japanese warrior's ''bushido'' code, on educational methods of the African Zulu tribes. on the Victorian "ragged schools" movement, and the educational methods of Montessori.<ref>Baden-Powell, ''Scouting for Boys"[http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0192805479&id=LdtVxcFpWFQC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&ots=j1TxsQhuis&dq=baden-powell+scouting+bushido&sig=6nhFG3I_TD7AB0mP7lzSHebCT7c#PPA44,M1]</ref><ref>[http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-bp.htm Robert Baden-Powell as an Educational Innovator</ref>

==Cub Scouting==

Cub Scouting is a program in place for boys who are not yet old enough to be Boy Scouts. Cub Scouts range in grade level from first to fifth grade. Cub Scout units are referred to as "packs" rather than "troops", and packs subdivide further into groups known as "dens" often led by "den mothers". Fourth and fifth grade Cub Scouts are called "Webelos", <ref>The acronym, thought up in the early 40s, does NOT presently stand for "Wolf, Bear, Lion, Scout" as before; it now stands for "WE'll BE LOyal Scouts!". [http://www.infinetivity.com/~blkeagle/webelos.htm]</ref>
and one of the main goals of the Webelos program is to transition boys from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. The highest award that a Cub Scout can earn is the Arrow of Light Award, which is also the only Scouting award that can remain on a Boy Scout's uniform from his Cub Scouting days.

==The Scout Oath & Law==
'''Scout Law:'''<blockquote>
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, kind, courteous, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
</blockquote>
'''Scout Oath'''<blockquote>On my honor, I will do my best: To do my duty to God and my
country, and to obey the Scout Law, To help other people at all
times. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally
straight.</blockquote>

The Scout Oath & Law are the guiding principles of Scouting, and are generally recited at the beginning or end of a Troop meeting.

==Ranks==
The requirements and order of the BSA ranks have changed over the years, although the names have only changed little. The current order is as follows:
* Tenderfoot
* Second Class
* First Class
* Star Scout
* Life Scout
* Eagle Scout

==Rank of Eagle Scout==

The highest rank that may be attained by a Boy Scout is that of Eagle Scout, which less than 5% of Scouts nationwide earn. <ref>http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0410/d-news.html</ref> One of the requirements for this rank is leading a service project to benefit either the community at large, or a specific non-profit organization, such as a school or a church. Other requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges (earned over the span of the last three ranks - including 12 predetermined ones), being active in the troop for a minimum amount of time, holding a position of leadership within one's troop, and appearing before a Board of Review. A Scouts Eagle Board of Review must be completed before a candidate's 18th birthday. Some notable Eagle Scouts include:

*[[Neil Armstrong]]
*[[Marion Barry]]
*[[Lloyd Bentsen]]
*[[Stephen Breyer]]
*[[James Dale]]
*[[Michael Dukakis]]
*[[Michael Moore]]
*[[John Murtha]]
*[[Donald Rumsfeld]]
*[[Gordon Smith]]

==Controversy==

As some consider a result of their strong adherence to traditional Christian morality, the Boy Scouts of America have come under criticism for their policy regarding [[homosexuals]]. As stated in a press release from the organization:<ref>http://www.scouting.org/media/press/2002/020206/index.html</ref>

::The BSA reaffirmed its view that an avowed homosexual cannot serve as a role model for the traditional moral values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law and that these values cannot be subject to local option choices.

This has led to several high profile lawsuits, such as the one brought by the ACLU of San Diego<ref>http://www.aclusandiego.org/boy_scouts/boy_scouts_082800.html</ref>, which proposes that the discriminatory practices of the organization should make them ineligible for the use of public funds or public lands.

Prohibition of homosexual scout leaders is not universal within the BSA, however. The Massachusetts Minuteman Council, for example, adopted a bylaw in 2001 barring exclusion of anyone on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation. The bylaw, which resembles the U. S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, permits homosexuals to lead troops so long as they do not discuss their sexual orientation. A few other councils have similar policies.<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20010802/ai_n13920546 Mass. Scouts permit gay leaders], Chicago Sun-Times, Aug 2, 2001</ref>

Atheist Scouts have also been removed from the organization on the basis of the twelfth point of the Scout Law being "reverent". <ref>http://www.beliefnet.com/story/116/story_11619_1.html</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category: Service Organizations]]
[[category: U.S. Government Chartered Organizations]]

Tim Johnson

2007-12-22T22:22:52Z

Mrb:

[[Image:Timjohnson.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| Johnson speaking at a [[U.S. Senate]] Hearing]]
'''Tim Johnson''' is a [[Democratic]] [[United States Senator]] from [[South Dakota]]. In December, 2006, he suffered a [[hemmorhage]], and has not yet returned to his duties. As a result, Johnson has missed more votes than any other Senator so far this session, as of August, 2007. <ref>Lawrence Journal-World, August 10, 2007</ref> Johnson is one of a very small number of Senators and Congressmen with family members serving in the armed forces: Johnson's son Brooks is in the [[United States Army]].

==External Links==
*[http://johnson.senate.gov/ Official Website]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Tim_Johnson.htm Voting Record]

==References==

<References/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Tim}}

[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]

Thomas R. Carper

2007-12-22T17:06:36Z

Mrb: added miitary service

'''Tom Carper''' is a Democratic Senator from [[Delaware]]. Mr. Carper served in the [[United States Navy]] (1968-1973), and in the Navy Reserve (1973 to present).

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carper, Tom}}
[[Category: Democratic Party]]
[[Category: United States Senators]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]

National Rifle Association

2007-12-07T04:54:19Z

Mrb:

[[Image:National Rifle Association logo.png|National Rifle Association logo|thumb|250px]]
The '''National Rifle Association''' (or '''NRA''') is an advocacy group which promotes the right to bear arms as well as promoting interest in shooting sports. It runs training classes in gun use and safety, and publishes magazines of interest to gun owners. It is also dedicated to protecting Americans' [[Second Amendment]] rights.

The NRA was founded after the [[American Civil War]] by former Union soldiers seeking to improve the shooting skills of the population at large.

The NRA is non-partisan and has endorsed both [[Republican Party|Republicans]] and [[Democratic Party|Democrats]].

In 2004 the NRA successfully opposed renewal of the federal assault weapons ban of 1994, which banned many features of certain semiautomatic rifles and certain types of removable magazines, against a campaign to make the ban permanent and expand it.{{fact}} The ban expired at midnight, September 13, 2004.{{fact}}

The NRA owns and operates the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, which is free to the public.

==Prominent Members==
*[[Michael Moore]]
*[[George H.W. Bush]] (resigned 1995)
*[[Charlton Heston]]
*[[Larry Craig]]
*[[Mitt Romney]] (since August 2007)
*[[Dick Cheney]]
*[[Ted Nugent]]
*[[John Dingell]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nra.org National Rifle Association]

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Politics]]

John Conyers

2007-11-25T01:13:08Z

Mrb: New page: '''John Conyers''' (b. 1929) is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic party. Mr. Conyers served in the Michigan National Guard, the US Army, and in the Arm...

'''John Conyers''' (b. 1929) is an American politician. He is a member of the [[Democratic]] party.

Mr. Conyers served in the [[Michigan]] National Guard, the [[US Army]], and in the Army Reserves. During the [[Korean War]], Conyers served as an officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers in Korea. Conyers was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1965, and continues to represent Michigan's 14 Congressional District.

Representative Conyers issued a report in May, 2005, that was highly critical of the 2004 election results from the state of [[Ohio]]. ''What Went Wrong in Ohio: The Conyers Report on the 2004 General Election'', discusses differences between exit polls and final vote tallies, as well as reports of faulty electronic voting machines and ballot counting machines.

In August 2006 Representative Conyers issued a report ''The Constitution in Crisis: The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retributions and Cover-ups in the Iraq War'', that called for the censure of President [[George W. Bush]] and Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] over intellegence failures in the runup to the Iraq War, and reports of torture during the conduct of the war.

Mr. Conyers is a [[Baptist]].

Episcopal Church in the United States of America

2007-11-22T17:33:26Z

Mrb:

The '''Episcopal Church in the USA''', abbreviated ECUSA, and also known as the The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, is the American arm of the Worldwide [[Anglican Communion]]. The Church has about 2.5 million members.

Worship in the Episcopal Church is according to the [[Book of Common Prayer]], a book of worship services for use in the church. The current edition was published in 1979. The previous edition was published in 1928. Worship styles within the Episcopal Church can range from "high church" (emphasizing ritual, sung liturgy, candles and incense, genuflecting, etc. with services resembling a [[Roman Catholic]] service) to "low church" (emphasizing preaching and personal conversion and eschewing ritual, with services resembling other low church [[Protestant]] denominations). Many Episcopal churches have a "broad church" stance, meaning they take a middle ground and try to incorporate elements of both high and low church styles.

Episcopal [[theology]] is summarized by the [[Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion]], principally written by [[Thomas Cramner]] and adopted by the Anglican Church in 1563.

The [[National Cathedral]] in Washington is an Episcopal church, and is the official seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. Twelve of the forty-three Presidents have been Episcopalian, including [[George Washington]], [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[George H. W. Bush]], and [[Gerald Ford]]. In addition [[Thomas Jefferson]] was raised Episcopalian but later proclaimed [[deism]] and no denominational preference, returning to his Episcopalian faith in his later years, while [[Theodore Roosevelt]] was raised Dutch Reformed but later became Episcopalian.

Changes made in the church during the 1970s, specifically the ordination of women and the adoption of a new Book of Common Prayer in 1979, led to a movement of breakaway churches called the [[Continuing Anglican]] movement.

There is currently a controversy within the Episcopal church about the role of homosexuals within the church. The church was given until September 30, 2007 to determine whether or not it would continue to consecrate homosexuals. The Episcopal church's liberal stance is alienating it from other memebers of the communion, specifically the churches in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Some U.S. Episcopal churches, opposed to the ordination of practicing homosexuals to the priesthood, have chosen to remove themselves from the ECUSA and place themselves under the authority of Anglican churches in Africa or Southeast Asia, thus attempting to remain (unlike those churches in the Continuing Anglican movement) in full communion with the worldwide Anglican Communion. These churches are currently involved in legal struggles with the ECUSA over the fate of their historic church buildings.

Some Prominent Episcopalians include:

*[[Spiro Agnew]]
*[[Madeleine Albright]]
*[[George H. W. Bush]]
*[[George W. Bush]] (raised Episcopalian; currently Methodist)
*[[Tucker Carlson]]
*[[Cab Calloway]]
*[[Jefferson Davis]]
*[[Phillip K. Dick]]
*[[Duke Ellington]]
*[[Gerald Ford]]
*[[Jerry Garcia]]
*[[Barry Goldwater]]
*[[Kay Bailey Hutchison]]
*[[Lady Bird Johnson]]
*[[John Jay]]
*[[Robert E. Lee]]
*[[James Madison]]
*[[Thurgood Marshall]]
*[[John McCain]] (raised Episcopalian; currently Baptist)
*[[Eleanor Holmes Norton]]
*[[Sandra Day O'Connor]]
*[[Karl Rove]]
*[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]
*[[Colin Powell]]
*[[Bess Truman]]
*[[George Washington]]
*[[Reese Witherspoon]]

[[Category:Christian Denominations]]

Garrison Keillor

2007-11-21T03:02:24Z

Mrb: New page: Garrison Keillor (b. 1942) is an American humorist, writer, and radio performer. He is the creator and host of the popular public radio variety show "A Prairie Home Companion". Keillor i...

Garrison Keillor (b. 1942) is an American humorist, writer, and radio performer. He is the creator and host of the popular public radio variety show "A Prairie Home Companion". Keillor is the author of more than a dozen books, including at least five about the fictional town of Lake Wobegon. He is currently (2007) a regular contributor to salon.com. In his salon.com columns, Keillor refers to US President [[George W. Bush]] as "the current occupant".

Jimmy Carter

2007-11-17T17:25:15Z

Mrb: /* Post-presidency */

{{President
|image=Carter.jpg
|seq=39
|term_start=January 20, 1977
|term_end=January 20, 1981
|party=Democratic
|vp=Walter Mondale
|previous=Gerald Ford
|next=Ronald Reagan
|birth_date=October 1, 1924
|birth_place=Plains, Georgia, USA
|death_date=
|death_place=
|spouse=Rosalynn Carter
|spouse2=
|religion=[[Baptist]]
}}
'''James Earl Carter, Jr.''' was the 39th [[President of the United States of America]] following [[Gerald Ford]] and preceding [[Ronald Reagan]]. He was a [[Democrat]] who served from 1977-1981, after being the Governor of [[Georgia]].

Carter is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and served in the Navy from 1946 through 1953, rising to the rank of Lieutenant.

His difficulty in overcoming the challenges that were presented to the nation during his time in office helped lead to the election of [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1980. He has been unusually active as an ex-president, serving as an election monitor in many emerging democracies, and as a self-proclaimed "peace advocate", was recognized with the [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]]. In recent years, he has become very controversial because of his alleged [[Anti-Semitism|anti-semitic]] sentiments.

==Early Years==
Carter was born and raised on his father's farm in Georgia. He entered the Naval Academy at [[Annapolis]] and graduated from there in 1946. Shortly afterwards, on July 7, he married Rosalynn Smith. Carter worked in submarines, until he resigned in 1953. He became a peanut farmer afterwards. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 11-33. </ref>

==Early Political Service==
Carter entered politics by running for the Georgia State Senate. He almost lost a close race against Homer Moore, but Carter beat him in the final tally. He worked hard in the Legislature and went on to run for Governor of Georgia in 1966. Although he failed in 1966, in 1970 he managed to win the office of Governor. He was known as a supporter of equal rights for blacks and had the picture of Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] hung in the Georgia state capitol. He went on regular trips to Europe and the Middle East. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 35-40. </ref>

==[[United States presidential election, 1976|1976 Campaign]]==
Carter officially announced his involvment in the race for President. Despite being a relatively politically inexperienced candidate, he turned it to his advantage. He was able to avoid the [[Watergate]] scandal and claim a clean history. He eventually managed to win the Democratic nomination and chose Minnesota Senator, [[Walter Mondale]], as his running mate. Carter based his campaign on his reputation, political freshness and being a honest, born-again christian. His opponent [[Gerald Ford]] campaigned on his record as a Congressman and success in recovering from Watergate. Carter wavered slightly after the first presidential debate, but managed to regain lost ground over the next few appearances. Carter managed to win the general election over Ford. <ref> [[Encyclopedia of Presidents, Jimmy Carter]], by Linda R. Wade, Children's Press, Chicago, 1989, pp. 45-57. </ref>

==Presidency==
Carter's presidency was marked by a period of American hegemony being challenged abroad and economic recession and [[stagflation]] striking at home. Carter's presidency was marked by retrenchment, after the disappointing agony that had been the [[Vietnam War]], and economic [[stagflation]] churning at home.

In the midst of the 1980 campaign, a pro-U.S. monarchy was toppled by the 1979 [[Iran|Iranian]] Revolution and dozens of [[Iran Hostage Crisis|American hostages were taken]] inside the American embassy by Islamic fundamentalist revolutionaries after Carter gave sanctuary to exiled dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. With the international outrage at the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] invasion of [[Afghanistan]] later the same year, Carter was rendered impotent, as America saw its influence declining abroad.

Despite Carter's own Democratic Party controlling both Houses of Congress, and the White House he failed to reform the tax system, and to reduce the size of the government bureaucracy, as promised during the 1976 campaign, or to pass the Martin Luther King holiday.

He has also been criticized for not doing enough to promote his proclaimed human rights foreign policy stance in his administration, such as continuing to support the [[Indonesia]]n government even while it was implicated in the commission of acts of genocide in the occupation of East Timor.

Carter's response to Soviet aggression against Afghanistan was to single out American farmers who suffered terribly when he terminated the Russian Wheat Deal, a keystone Nixon [[Detente]] initiative to establish trade with USSR and lessen [[Cold War]] tensions.

He was defeated in the [[United States presidential election, 1980|1980 presidential election]] by Ronald Reagan by nearly ten percentage points. [[Republican Party|Republicans]] also gained control of the Senate for the first time in twenty-five years. The electoral college vote was a landslide, with 489 votes (representing 44 states) for Reagan and 49 for Carter (representing 6 states and the District of Columbia).

Carter personally opposed [[abortion]] but only recently, more than a quarter of a century after his presidency, expressed his opposition in public.

===Stagflation===
A major issue President Carter failed to deal with was [[inflation]], caused especially by continued high levels of government spending and the rising price of imported oil, which was the major source of energy for many industries. The [[Misery index]], an indicator of economic hardship that Carter popularized and frequently mentioned in the [[United States presidential election of 1976|presidential election of 1976]], rose 50% in four years.

Government spending caused interest rates to rise to unprecedented levels (above 12 percent per year). Inflation and interest rates reached their highest levels since [[World War II]]. The rapid change in interest rates led to disintermediation of bank deposits, which sowed the seeds of the [[Savings and Loan crisis]]. Investments in fixed income were becoming less valuable. Holders of both bonds, and pensions being paid to retired people had their life savings wiped out. The stagnant growth of the economy (causing unemployment), in combination with a high rate of inflation, has often been called [[stagflation]], an unprecedented situation in American economics.

[[Bert Lance]], Carter's appointee to head the [[Office of Management and Budget]] which manages the U.S. federal budget, was forced to resign when his past bank overdrafts and "check kiting" schemes in Georgia were exposed.

==Post-presidency==
[[Image:Palestine peace not apartheid.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Cover of Jimmy Carter's book, ''Peace Not Apartheid'', which accuses [[Israel]] of practicing racism.]]
Carter has been active in foreign affairs since his presidency. His continued work mediating international disputes, organizing election observations, and working with organizations on disease and hunger were cited when he was awarded the 2002 [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]]. In his Nobel lecture, Carter declared his support for "international law":

<blockquote>
Our President, [[Woodrow Wilson]], was honored here for promoting the [[League of Nations]], whose two basic concepts were profoundly important: "collective security" and "self-determination." Now they are embedded in international law. Violations of these premises during the last half-century have been tragic failures, as was vividly demonstrated when the Soviet Union attempted to conquer Afghanistan and when Iraq invaded Kuwait. <ref>[http://jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/nobel.phtml Text of Carter's Nobel Lecture] Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, 2002.</ref>
</blockquote>

In a October 2000 survey of 132 prominent professors of history, law, and political science, President Carter was grouped in the "Below Average" group, ranked 30th, with a mean score of 2.47 out of 5.00.<ref>Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House (New York, Wall Street Journal Book, 2004)</ref> This survey, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and the conservative Federalist Society, ranked President Carter ahead of Richard Nixon, and below George H.W. Bush.

In 2001 as President Clinton exited office and handed out many dubious and questionable pardons, some to [[terrorist]]s and others which appeared bought and paid for, Carter blasted President Clinton's actions and referred to them as "disgraceful". + In Jimmy Carter's latest book, ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid'', he wrote:

In Jimmy Carter's latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid", he appeared to endorse Arab terrorism against Israel as a tactic to achieve political ends, he wrote:
<blockquote>
It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.
</blockquote>
The sentiment was widely criticized. He apologized for the wording of that sentence, but not for his larger message.<ref>Washington Post, January 24, 2007 [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/23/AR2007012301668.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/books]</ref>

*His 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has attracted charges of plagiarism. It caused Professor Kenneth Stein to resign from the Carter Center because of its depiction of Israel through three decades of diplomatic and military dealings with the Palestinians. Mr. Stein had served as an aide to Mr. Carter during most of those years. He considers the book deceitful and malicious. As the book's title adumbrates, Jimmy compares Israel with the white supremacist regime of old South Africa. Fourteen members of the Carter Center's advisory board have resigned over the book. In March, Jimmy explained these resignations to an audience at George Washington University by saying, "They all happen to be Jewish Americans." [http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20070524-083911-8313r.htm]

== UFO Sighting ==
[[Image:Carter Sighting Report 2.gif|thumb|right|President Carter's report the planet may have been visited by space aliens.]]
Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a [[UFO]]. In 1975 Carter told a ''[[Washington Post]]'' reporter, " A light appeared and disappeared in the sky . . . I think the light was beckoning me to run in the California primary." <ref>[http://www.presidentialufo.com/jimmy.htm Jimmy Carter UFO] </ref> He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in [[Oklahoma City]] after a request from that organization. <ref>[http://www.presidentialufo.com/carter_ufo_report.htm President Jimmy Carter's Actual UFO Sighting Report]</ref> During his presidential campaign, Carter promised to release the truth about any alleged UFO cover-up.

Through Stanford Research Institute, Mr. Alfred Webre was Principal Investigator for a proposed civilian scientific study of extraterrestrial communication presented to and developed with interested Carter White House staff. This took place during the period from May 1977 until the fall of 1977.

==Voyager Probe==
President Carter placed this official statement on the Voyager space probe <ref>http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=555</ref> for its trip outside the solar system on June 16, 1977: "We cast this message into the cosmos . . . Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some - - perhaps many - - may have inhabited planets and space faring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: We are trying to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope some day, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of Galactic Civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe."<ref>http://www.presidentialufo.com/jimmy.htm</ref>

==See also==
* [[Carter Doctrine]]

==Further reading==
*[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13265 Carter the worst ex-president -- Steven Hayward]
*[http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=7&blog_id=59&blog_post_id=935 Jimmy Carter is a liar], Alan Dershowitz, ''Jerusalem Post'', March 13 2007.
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901541.html Jimmy Carter's Jewish Problem] by Deborah Lipstadt.

==References==
<references/>

{{USPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Jimmy}}
[[Category:Presidents of the United States|Carter, Jimmy]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace|Carter, Jimmy]]

John Dean

2007-11-17T03:16:54Z

Mrb: New page: '''John Dean''' is an American author, attorney, investment banker, convicted felon, and counsel to President Richard Nixon. Dean was a member of the Republican party, but is now ...

'''John Dean''' is an American author, attorney, investment banker, convicted felon, and counsel to President [[Richard Nixon]]. Dean was a member of the [[Republican]] party, but is now an Independent.

Mr. Dean plead guilty to charges of obstruction of justice in 1973 in a trial related to the [[Watergate]] scandal. He testified against other Watergate conspirators, including [[H. R. Haldeman]], [[John Erlichman]], and [[John Mitchell]].

Dean is the author of several books, including ''Conservatives Without Conscience'' (2006); ''Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush'' (2004); and ''The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment that Redefined the Supreme Court'' (2001). He is the co-author, with [[Arthur Schlesinger]], of ''Warren G. Harding'' (2004), from ''The American Presidents'' series (Times Books).

Charles Rangel

2007-11-17T02:48:49Z

Mrb:

'''Charles B. Rangel''' is an [[United States|American]] politician. He has represented [[New York]]'s 15th congressional district since 1971. Mr. Rangel is a [[Democrat]].

Mr. Rangel was born in [[Harlem]]. He was raised as a [[Catholic]]. He enlisted in the [[United States Army]] in 1948. Sargent Rangel was awarded a [[Purple Heart]] and a [[Bronze Star]] for his service in the [[Korean War]]. Congressman Rangel has supported a return to the military draft.

[[Category:United States House of Representatives]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangel, Charles B.}}

Charles Rangel

2007-11-17T02:48:03Z

Mrb:

'''Charles B. Rangel''' is an [[United States|American]] politician. He has represented [[New York]]'s 15th congressional district since 1971. Mr. Rangel is a [[Democrat]].

Mr. Rangel was born in [[Harlem]]. He was raised as a [[Catholic]]. He enlisted in the [[United States Army]] in 1948. Sargent Rangel was awarded a [[Purple Heart]] and a [[Bronze Star]] for his service in the [[Korean War]]. Congressman Rangel has supported a return to the military draft#REDIRECT [[Selective Service System]].

[[Category:United States House of Representatives]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangel, Charles B.}}

Charles Rangel

2007-11-17T02:42:57Z

Mrb:

'''Charles B. Rangel''' is an [[United States|American]] politician. He has represented [[New York]]'s 15th congressional district since 1971. Mr. Rangel is a [[Democrat]].

Mr. Rangel was born in [[Harlem]]. He was raised as a [[Catholic]]. He enlisted in the [[United States Army]] in 1948. Sargent Rangel was awarded a [[Purple Heart]] and a [[Bronze Star]] for his service in the [[Korean War]]. Congressman Rangel has supported a return to the [[military draft]].

[[Category:United States House of Representatives]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangel, Charles B.}}