But it was a different story last night, when he secretly met at the Vatican Embassy in Washington with 5 victims of priest sex abuse

Then I told him that he has a cancer growing in his ministry and needs to do something about it and I hope he hears me right… and I touched his heart and he nodded.

Bernie McDaid – Sex Abuse Victim

The Pontiff left behind the raw emotion of that meeting for a more scholarly address at the United Nations. Raising concerns that a handful of nations have too much power and then speaking in English offered a solution to poverty and conflict.

The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups.

Pope Benedict XVI

The Pope has two more days in the U.S. including a mass at Yankee Stadium and a visit to Ground Zero.

There are many messages we are likely to hear from the Pope this week, both related to the church and to the world at large. Religious faithful are wondering what the pontiff might have to say about Catholic teachings, while the rest of the world is watching to see what he’ll say to the President about the war in Iraq.

It was an unprecedented welcome, with the President greeting a foreign dignitary at the airport rather than at the White House. At the carefully choreographed event, neither man spoke publicly, but on the plane ride across the Atlantic, the Pope candidly addressed the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the church.

"Really this has been a great suffering for the church in the United States and for me personally that this could happen. It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children. I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future."
Pope Benedict XVI

Security for the Pope will be intense as twenty-seven local, state and federal agencies are coordinating their efforts. A popemobile was shipped over weeks ago just so they could practice. Jeff Irvine U.S. Secret Service explained "every security aspect that you’ve ever been exposed to will be deployed and quite frankly quite a few that you’ve never seen deployed."

The Pope has come to the U.S. mostly to preach the gospel, but many expect him to scold the President over the war in Iraq. "Well of course we are hoping that he will turn to him and say I told you so," confided Father Thomas Reese, Georgetown University. And he has his work cut out with American Catholics who are strongly independent.

Although he spoke about it already on the plane, it’s almost certain the Pope will again speak about the sexual abuse scandal that ruined so many lives and cost the church $2 billion in legal settlements.

First Southwest was forced to ground planes following revelations the company had skipped mandatory inspections. Then it happened with American Airlines as well. The stream of forced groundings has left hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded and with few options.

Many are pointing the finger at the FAA for allowing airlines to police themselves. Southwest airlines flew 46 planes on more than 60,000 flights without performing FAA mandated inspections for fuselage cracks. At American, FAA orders to check wiring on MD-80s dating back to late 2006 went unheeded, forcing the grounding and cancellations of thousands of flights this month. Now Congress is asking why the FAA isn’t noticing that airlines are ignoring mandatory inspection orders.

About a decade ago, Congress allowed the FAA to begin letting airlines largely police themselves. The number of field inspectors was slashed, and now inspectors say they spend 70 of their time at their desks, instead of under or inside of airplanes. Worse, many complain the FAA’s relationship with airlines has grown too cozy.

Tom Brantly, President of Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, says that “inspectors are being forced to change inspection data in FAA databases, reprimanded or removed from oversight responsibility of a carrier and encouraged not to pursue enforcement actions.”

In 2005 the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General found that the FAA failed to complete 26% of their planned inspections. This current crisis is prodding many in Congress to rethink the entire system. Many feel the FAA is treating airlines as the customer rather than the flying public…the taxpayers who foot the bill.

Related
Behind Air Chaos, an F.A.A. Pendulum Swing (NYTimes)

President George Bush announced that after the surge ends this summer there will be no further troop withdrawals from Iraq. The president’s announcement virtually guarantees that the US will be keeping 140,000 troops in Iraq until he leaves office next January.

Accepting the advice of his top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, Bush will freeze troop levels in Iraq after the 20,000 to 30,000 surge forces arrive home in mid-summer. At the same time he bowed to pressure from leaders at the Pentagon to reduce the strain on weary soldiers and their families. 15-month deployments will be cut to 12, with an equal amount of time spent stateside before returning to the war front.

Standing before the press in the Rose Garden yesterday, Bush stated that “with the surge a major strategic shift has occurred. It is clear that we are on the right track.”

That was not an opinion shared by the Democratic leaders. Rep Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, responded that “[Bush] is just dragging this out so he can put it at the doorstep of the new President of the United States.”

By any measure the surge has reduced violence in Iraq, both against American forces and Iraqi civilians. But it’s a fragile situation that could worsen in an instant. So far, the war has cost more than 4,000 American lives and $500 billion tax dollars.

With a promise dating back to the invasion five years ago, Bush stated that “ultimately we expect Iraq to shoulder the full burden of these costs.” The lack of Iraqi support for the costs is proving to be an embarrassment for the administration, with Iraq’s oil revenues expected to hit $100 billion this year alone.

Related

Al-Maliki Against Proposal To Delay U.S. Troop Withdrawals (RTTNews)

Ferraro was an early supporter of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and earlier this week she made the following statement to a newspaper reporter in in Torrance, California about Clinton’s opponent, Senator Barack Obama.

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”

Let’s see if we have this right. The "concept" is, that it is an advantage to be a black man running for national office. And it appears that carrying the name Barack Hussein Obama, rhymes with Osama, is the equivalent to having the key to the Oval Office.

Ferraro has since resigned her position as a fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Clinton. However she remains unapologetic and claims the Obama campaign is painting her out to be a racist.

At his core, Barack Obama is a brilliant, motivating, articulate agent for change with a dynamic ability to work a crowd. Whether you agree with him or not, he has a well-reasoned platform that appeals to millions. Ferraro seems to be forgetting two white men who had the same precise qualities.

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

So, what might Ferraro be suggesting? There can only be two answers. One is that Obama has managed to coalesce the African American community into a dynamic effective voting juggernaut. Well, that’s true. In most states, Obama is winning between 65% and 88% of the black vote. But as of the last census in 2000, African Americans only made up 12.3% of the U.S. population. Hillary Clinton has an equally strong constituency among Latinos, 12.5% of the population, so this is a ridiculous argument.

It seems likely that Ferraro, 24 years after her electoral debacle, is harboring latent resentment that a woman is again on the verge of losing the opportunity for high office. Yet, by any reasonably objective standard, Hillary Clinton has done remarkably well.

The odd twist to all of this is that the arguments Ferraro is making about Obama, actually work better when applied to Clinton. No one can argue that her name recognition and national stature haven’t been dramatically enhanced via marriage. For those non-believers lets toss out a few other names. Murray, Boxer, Feinstein, McCaskill, Landrieu, Cantwell, Hutchison, Collins, Dole and Snow. They are all women currently serving in the Senate.

All of them have vastly more actual on-the-job experience than Senator Clinton, but none of them are nearly as electable on a national level. So, who’s the lucky one?

That’s what George Bush did to John McCain a few weeks before the South Carolina primary in 2000.

He worked up that big Number 9 from the G.O.P Dirty Tricks Playbook and dumped it like a load of fetid garbage on an otherwise decent guy. That supposed illegitimate child, by the way, was rumored to be black. In the playbook it’s acceptable to twist adopting a homeless child from Bangladesh, as the McCain’s did, into something evil.

As it turns out, John McCain isn’t forgetful, he has an expedient memory. Politics can turn anyone instantly pragmatic.

The Arizona senator and presumptive Republican nominee trudged to the White House today to kiss the ring of the pope. George Bush greeted him at the North Portico. It’s the same entrance where Presidents greet their successor on inauguration day.

The two were all chummy and giggly during a Rose Garden news conference. McCain said he’d welcome George Bush’s support during the upcoming general election race. Bush said he’d be happy to show his "pretty face" at rallies for McCain.

Given the history, and the fact that the two men disagree on campaign finance, torture, Global Warming and tax cuts, it will be an interesting dance.

McCain is using the president to help him win over the hard right wing of the Republican party. They have been openly antagonistic toward McCain for months, and many are vowing to vote Democratic. It is an interesting gamble on McCain’s part, because a little presidential shoulder-rubbing isn’t guaranteed to help. What it will do is provide a steady stream of images for Democrats to use against McCain.

In the spot we children sleeping while a phone rings. And rings. And rings. And rings. Will somebody get the damn phone!

Finally at 3 A.M. President Hillary Rodham Clinton rolls over and grabs the freaking thing. Wait, at 3 A.M. she’s fully dressed in a well-tailored Channel suit? Maybe like Superman she wears it under her flannel pj’s.

While we are supposed to feel comforted that someone with 35 years of experience will be in the White House to handle a crisis in the wee hours, the ad is amazingly off-putting. First, everyone has kind of figured out by now that most of her supposed experience came from watching Bill answer the phone.

And, you can’t help but wonder whether most her 3 A.M. use of the phone has been to track down Bill at his girlfriend’s house.

The ad is also designed to scare us, although it never says about what. If you want an exploitive fear-based ad, look at the one Lyndon Johnson’s campaign ran against Barry Goldwater in 1964. It is hard not to notice some similarities.

Finally, the ad is technically flawed. No, it’s not the creepy mother who keeps leering at the kids, it’s the phone. By the fifth ring, you just want to throw something at the television. By contrast, Barack Obama’s response ad was brilliant.

By copying the patina of the Clinton spot he mocks her supposed leadership skills. Obama was also smart enough to actually throw in a nighttime shot of the White House, along with a few lines about his decision making abilities. Finally, the phone doesn’t ring throughout most of the ad. We can only assume Obama doesn’t have to put on a suit and tie to say, "Hello, this is the President."

Craig’s first person plea is a metaphorical tour de farce. The family values Idaho republican wants "resourceful team players who share my political philosophy." He waxes poetic about how his own arrival in Washington, D.C. in 1969 was a spiritual coming out. Back then the Idaho ranch-boy realized the big city to be "exciting and enriching", a place to be filled with "interesting people."

You betcha.

So, if you can pull your own weight, or pull the Senator’s, then this is for you. Just remember, coming to Washington, D.C. doesn’t make you gay. It just teaches you the oratorical skills needed to deny it.

Related:

Larry Craig, US Senator for Idaho: Official Website

City Proposes List of Rules to Stop Bathroom Sex: WCCO

Prosecutors Say Craig Plea Should Stand: AP