] "He won't tell us what congressional leaders are now
] saying, that this administration is planning yet another
] substantial call-up of reservists and guard units
] immediately after the election," Kerry said. "Hide it
] from people through the election, then make the move."
]
] The Democratic presidential candidate listed examples
] where he sees Bush misleading voters about Iraq, seeking
] to turn the conflict into a liability for Bush even as
] the president polishes his credentials as the best
] candidate to deter terrorists and protect the nation.
] Kerry portrayed the president as out of touch with a
] serious and dangerous situation.
]
] "With all due respect to the president, has he turned on
] the evening news lately? Does he read the newspapers?"
] Kerry said. "Does he really know what's happening? Is he
] talking about the same war that the rest of us are
] talking about?"

Yahoo! News - Kerry Accuses Bush of Hiding Troops Plan

] The question lingers: Could the $144.4 billion spent on
] Iraq been better used to protect the American people from
] terrorist threats? The Center for American Progress
] offers this answer.

What follows is a long list of measures that would have made Americans safer. This is the true cost of the Iraq War.

The Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War - Center for American Progress

] In this presidential election year, the Times's editorial
] page is examining the flaws in the mechanics of our
] democracy, including the reliability of electronic voting
] machines, obstacles to voter registration and turnout,
] and the lack of competitive congressional elections due
] to partisan drawing of district lines. The project is
] being led by editorial writer Adam Cohen, who will be
] traveling throughout the country to research these
] issues. The following is an archive of editorials from
] the series:

New York Times Election Editorial Archive

] A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for
] President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment
] of prospects for Iraq, government officials said
] Wednesday.
]
] The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq
] through the end of 2005, with the worst case being
] developments that could lead to civil war, the officials
] said. The most favorable outcome described is an Iraq
] whose stability would remain tenuous in political,
] economic and security terms.
]
] "There's a significant amount of pessimism," said one
] government official who has read the document

The Reconstruction: U.S. Intelligence Shows Pessimism on Iraq's Future

] George W. Bush is among the most openly religious
] presidents in U.S. history. A daily Bible reader, he
] often talks about how Jesus changed his heart. He has
] spoken, publicly and privately, of hearing God's call to
] run for the presidency and of praying for God's help
] since he came into office.
]
] But despite the centrality of Bush's faith to his
] presidency, he has revealed only the barest outline of
] his beliefs, leaving others to sift through the clues and
] make assumptions about where he stands.

An interesting balanced piece on Bush's religiosity.

Openly Religious, to a Point (washingtonpost.com)

] US military officers in Baghdad have warned they cannot
] guarantee the security of the perimeter around the Green
] Zone, the headquarters of the Iraqi government and home
] to the US and British embassies, according to security
] company employees.
]
] At a briefing earlier this month, a high-ranking US
] officer in charge of the zone's perimeter said he had
] insufficient soldiers to prevent intruders penetrating
] the compound's defences.
]
] The US major said it was possible weapons or explosives
] had already been stashed in the zone, and warned people
] to move in pairs for their own safety. The Green Zone, in
] Baghdad's centre, is one of the most fortified US
] installations in Iraq. Until now, militants have not been
] able to penetrate it.
]
] But insurgency has escalated this week, spreading to the
] centre of Baghdad.

FT.com / News in depth / Iraq - Green Zone is 'no longer totally secure'

] NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A judge has dismissed charges against
] a war protester who was arrested during a visit by
] President Bush last spring.
]
] The disorderly conduct charge against Joe Scott was
] dismissed after witnesses and a videotape contradicted
] police testimony about his actions.
]
] Scott, 57, claimed he was being singled out by Nashville
] police during the May 27 visit. "I'm very relieved," he
] said Tuesday. "I've not been tried as a criminal before."
]
] During the trial, police testified that they wanted
] Scott, who was holding a "Fire Bush" sign, to move away
] from the shoulder of the road because he was creating a
] safety problem and because the U.S. Secret Service wanted
] protesters at least 10 feet from the street.
]
] Mounted patrol officer Rita Harden testified that Scott
] had resisted and had run across the street. A videotape
] of the confrontation showed that Harden used her horse to
] bump Scott into the street, but it never showed him
] running away.
]
] Police testified that they asked both Bush supporters and
] Scott to move, but the video and still photographs
] contradicted that claim, defense attorney Mary Parker
] said.

Yahoo! News - Judge Dismisses Charges Vs. Bush Protester

] Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican described the
] rebuilding effort in Iraq as "beyond pitiful".
]
] "It's beyond embarrassing, it's now in the zone of
] dangerous," he said.

BBC NEWS | Business | Iraq rebuilding efforts 'pitiful'

] Multiple divorces are also unexpectedly common among born
] again Christians. Barna's figures show that nearly
] one-quarter of the married born agains (23%) get divorced
] two or more times ... Bible scholars and teachers point out
] that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was
] involved

So why isn't anyone pushing a Constitutional Amendment against divorce?

Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians

] "They've done so much with outlawing and restricting
] access to abortion that they've set their sights on birth
] control because there's nothing else really they can do
] to further restrict abortion here in Wisconsin," Ms Boyce
] says.
]
] "Which is counter-intuitive because if you're against
] abortion in the least you'd think you would see the value
] in enhancing access birth control, the very means women
] look to preventing pregnancy and the need for abortion."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Pill propelled into abortion debate