THUNE V. DASCHLE: Asked last week how to get rid of Sen. Tom Daschle (D.-S.D.) in the fall, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R.) told HUMAN EVENTS that the election should be about electing Daschle's opponent, former Rep. John Thune, rather than defeating Daschle. "I believe the election will feature John Thune. . . . He's a strong advocate of the right to life," said Rounds. "He believes in the same traditional American values that most Americans believe in."
DEMS CONFIDENT: After attending the Democratic convention, political expert and University of Virginia Prof. Larry Sabato told HUMAN EVENTS that Democrats there were confident of a John Kerry victory this November. "I've been to seven on both sides-14 total-and they're bordering on overconfidence," he said. Sabato continues to believe that "Bush will have a tough time winning. When you look at those undecideds, they're stacked against him." While the economy may be improving and Iraq headed to free elections, he said, "Public opinion lags reality by months. Things have to penetrate."
THE ENEMY IS US? "What's the greatest danger to America-maniac Moslems longing to resurrect the Caliphate, Stalinist states with nuclear arsenals, terrorist sugar-daddies stockpiling doomsday weapons-?" asked Don Feder on FrontPageMagazine.com, August 2. "Not according to Hollywood. Once again, the entertainment community has brilliantly discerned the real threat to our nation's security in multinational corporations-military contractors doling out campaign cash and exercising shadowy influence over government. Or, as Denzel Washington's character explains in Paramount's anti-capitalist remake of The Manchurian Candidate-Michael Moore meets Ralph Nader-the clear and present danger is "rich people funding bad science to put a sleeper agent in the White House.' Oooh!" The Manchurian Candidate is one of a slew of politicized films that Hollywood is releasing this year, said Feder.
MUSLIM ATTACK IN FLA: "A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating 'unclean' meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises," reported Central Florida's Local 6 News last week. "Lina Morales was hired as an administrative assistant at Rising Star-a Central Florida telecommunications company with strong Muslim ties. However, ten months after being hired by Rising Star, religious differences led to her termination. Morales, who is Roman Catholic, was warned about eating pizza with meat the Muslim faith considered 'unclean.' She was then fired for eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich." The CEO of Rising Star, Kujaatele Kweli, told Local 6 that Morales was fired for eating pork in the lunchroom.
FAITHFUL NURSES: Some public health nurses in Alabama have quit rather than distribute the morning-after pill. It turns out that they shouldn't have been required to distribute it at all. Reports the Population Research Institute's "Weekly Briefing" August 4, "Recently an act of courage by a small number health care professionals went under-reported nationwide. While the national media is eager to report stories that are pro-'morning-after pill,' Associated Press writer Bob Johnson did extensive reporting on the objections of health care workers in Alabama to distributing the 'Plan-B' morning-after pill." AP reported that 11 nurses quit after State Health Officer Don Williamson decided that if the state didn't distribute the pill, it could lose federal family planning funding. But then, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson wrote a letter saying that Alabama doesn't have to distribute the morning-after pill after all. AP reported that "U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) had asked Thompson to clarify federal requirements after workers began distributing the pills at state clinics earlier this year."
DEMS' FAULT: Vice President Dick Cheney told the truth about American dependence on foreign oil during an appearance in Hot Springs, Ark., on August 3. "Cheney also blamed the Senate Democrats and the Democratic ticket of Senators John Kerry (D.-Mass.) and John Edwards (D.-N.C.) for their opposition to the Bush Administration's energy policies that would increase petroleum drilling and energy conservation," reported Talon News. "Cheney advocated increasing domestic oil production in parts of Alaska and other 'large chunks of the country' that are off-limits to exploration and development. 'We have put ourselves into a box. And the only thing I can think of to do is to keep pushing for a comprehensive energy plan,' he said."
