Marc Perkel Rantz

Why should Eric Rudolph Fear Death?

Letter to the Editor

Eric Rudolph - a pro-life terrorist plead guilty to being a serial killer in exchange for immunity from the death penalty. What confuses me is why does he fear death? If he truly has faith then being dead is an opportunity to go to Heaven. If God really wants Christians to assassinate the heathens then shouldn't they welcome death so that God can reward them? Muslim mass murders don't fear dying because Muslims terrorist are true believers. I don't think Mr. Rudolph is as strong a believer as he claims to be. He's only pro-life when it comes to saving his own sorry hide.

John Bolton - Where have we seen him before?

Judge Charles Burton, chairman of the Palm Beach County canvassing board, holds up the last ballot the board was able to consider in the manual recount of ballots as Democratic lawyer Mark White, left, and Republican lawyer John Bolton watch at the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center Sunday, Nov. 26, 2000, in West Palm Beach, Fla. On Election Day 2004 partisan lawyers are planning to be at polling places they consider important or prone to trouble as the best remembered controversies in the 2000 Florida election grew from technical voting problems, many of which still exist; an estimated 32 million voters in 19 states will use punch cards. -AP File Photo

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Diplomat says he received no assurance of a reward

Bolton, the U.S. diplomat now responsible for arms control issues, said no payoff was promised for his decision to join the post-election fray. He had worked for the first Bush administration and, finding himself in South Korea on election night, contacted former Secretary of State James Baker in Texas to see how he might lend a hand. The reply: Go to Florida.

''I think, frankly, most of the people who did it just went down there by instinct,'' Bolton said. He said he received no legal fees, although the campaign paid his hotel bills and other expenses.

Bolton was part of the legal team and a ballot observer in Palm Beach County. Then he rushed to Tallahassee as the recount battle reached higher courts.

It was his role, on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, to burst into a library where workers were recounting Miami-Dade ballots and relay news of the U.S. Supreme Court's stay in the on-again, off-again presidential recount.

''I'm with the Bush-Cheney team, and I'm here to stop the count,'' he was quoted as saying in news reports at the time.

The Florida fraternity included major figures in the Bush administration, notably Theodore Olson, the current solicitor general, who worked on the case in both Tallahassee and Miami, then argued candidate Bush's case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and Robert Zoellick, now the U.S. trade representative, who served as a virtual chief of staff to Baker, Bush's main Florida strategist…

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So - this is about payback for helping Bush steal the 2000 election. Interesting that the corporate media isn't mentioning this. Especially since this is an Associated Press story.

Rolling stone Exposes the Dominionists

Is the religious takeove of America just a myth? This Rolling Stone Article shows Christian evangelicals are plotting to remake America in their own image.

It's February, and 900 of America's staunchest Christian fundamentalists have gathered in Fort Lauderdale to look back on what they accomplished in last year's election -- and to plan what's next. As they assemble in the vast sanctuary of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, with all fifty state flags dangling from the rafters, three stadium-size video screens flash the name of the conference: RECLAIMING AMERICA FOR CHRIST. These are the evangelical activists behind the nation's most effective political machine -- one that brought more than 4 million new Christian voters to the polls last November, sending George W. Bush back to the White House and thirty-two new pro-lifers to Congress. But despite their unprecedented power, fundamentalists still see themselves as a persecuted minority, waging a holy war against the godless forces of secularism. To rouse themselves, they kick off the festivities with "Soldiers of the Cross, Arise," the bloodthirstiest tune in all of Christendom: "Seize your armor, gird it on/Now the battle will be won/Soon, your enemies all slain/Crowns of glory you shall gain."

Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back.

More in Article.

How America sees the World

Letter to the Editor

Some people don't understand why American President Bush wants to send John Bolton to the United Nations. John Bolton is a man who understands the New World Order. He understands that there are two kinds of people in the world - Americans - and foreigners. And it's up to the Americans to help bring civilization to the poor ignorant foreigners. We give them loin cloths, teach them English, build them a Wal-Mart store, and teach the heathens some religion. The Bush administration is truly confused as to why the foreigners aren't welcoming John Bolton's help.

Disgraced Cardinal leads Mass for Pope

Letter to the Editor

Disgraced Cardinal Bernard Law, who moved priests who raped children from church to church so they can rape again, led a Mass for thousands mourning Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica. What this says to me is that the Catholic Church doesn't take the issue of priests raping children seriously and it makes people everywhere question the moral standing of this religion.

In the last week we've heard how great the late Pope was and it made it look like being Catholic really meant something. But I doubt anyone is going to take a religion seriously that lets those who support child rape play a such a major role in the Pope's funeral. This is a man who should be in jail. I can't believe he's still a Cardinal!