Once hailed by Time magazine as "America's Pastor," California megachurch leader and best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has generated intense scrutiny of the pastor's beliefs on social issues, from his vocal support for Proposition 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, incest and bestiality.

Warren's defense against charges of intolerance ultimately depends upon his ace card: his heavily publicized crusade against AIDS in Africa. Obama senior adviser David Axelrod cited Warren's work in Africa as one of "the things on which [Obama and Warren] agree" on the Dec. 28 episode of Meet the Press. Warren may be opposed to gay rights and abortion, the thinking goes, but he tells evangelicals it is their God-given duty to battle one of the greatest pandemics in history. What could be wrong with that?

But since the Warren inauguration controversy erupted, the nature of his work against AIDS in Africa has gone unexamined. Warren has not been particularly forthcoming to those who have attempted to look into it. His Web site contains scant information about the results of his program. However, an investigation into Warren's involvement in Africa reveals a web of alliances with right-wing clergymen who have sidelined science-based approaches to combating AIDS in favor of abstinence-only education. More disturbingly, Warren's allies have rolled back key elements of one of the continent's most successful initiative, the so-called ABC program in Uganda. Stephen Lewis, the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told the New York Times their activism is "resulting in great damage and undoubtedly will cause significant numbers of infections which should never have occurred."

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/118125/condom_burnings_and_anti-gay_witch_hunts:_how_rick_warren_is_undermining_aids_prevention_in_africa/?cID=1101505#c1101505

With the large banks refusing to make loans after losing billions on worthless subprime derivatives, the government stepped in and agreed to October's financial bailout package.

The $700 billion legislation was meant to buy banks' "troubled assets" for cash, and thus improve banks' balance sheets to the point that they would lend again. This would mean credit for struggling businesses and households and could encourage expansion and hiring, thus pulling us out of recession.

But the plan has not been carried out as advertised -- rather than buying the subprime securities from the banks, the government has instead decided to "recapitalize" them. Meaning, invest money in the big banks for some equity, money which the banks could then loan to the staggering economy.

The fact is that the banks are not making loans -- the "credit crunch" goes on, and the economy is the worse for it. After so many of Wall Street's great investment banks went bankrupt, or were bailed out by the government, or were bought by competitors, the banks want to "hoard cash" to avoid a similar fate. But besides shoring up their own finances, the banks are putting our public bailout money to another purpose -- buying up their smaller competitors.

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/116859/why_big_finance_is_laughing_all_the_way_to_the_bank

It's been a difficult few weeks in popedom: First, Pope Benedict XVI raised some eyebrows when he compared the need to eliminate homosexuality to saving rainforests. Now, he may have to cancel a planned trip to Israel after the head of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace compared Gaza to "a big concentration camp." Pope Benedict is German and, as a child, was enrolled in the Hitler Youth. Israel and the Vatican are also at odds over the beatification of Pius XII, the WW II-era pope who remained silent during the Holocaust—a move that would put him on the path to sainthood.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5473588.ece

But something happened last January as Caroline was pushed by her Uncle Teddy to come out for Obama. The Kennedys, blindsided by the success of pea-picking, penny-ante, polyester-wearing provincials like the Carters and the Clintons, were never all that delighted when Bill Clinton’s wife commandeered RFK’s old Senate seat. Keeping Hillary out of the White House pulled Caroline off the sidelines as much as enthusiasm for Obama, who so shrewdly and assiduously courted the Kennedy blessing. Some of Caroline’s veiled dislike of Hillary was perhaps also vigor envy. No self-doubt in Hillary. No fear of the fight.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-05/caroline-the-reasons-why

Paris Hilton '12

Talk about a spoiled and privileged tool who has done absolutely nothing to earn the right to represent anyone.....oh wait that's Obama too.

No wonder they get along so well.

"But something happened last January as Caroline was pushed by her Uncle Teddy to come out for Obama. The Kennedys, blindsided by the success of pea-picking, penny-ante, polyester-wearing provincials like the Carters and the Clintons, were never all that delighted when Bill Clinton’s wife commandeered RFK’s old Senate seat. Keeping Hillary out of the White House pulled Caroline off the sidelines as much as enthusiasm for Obama, who so shrewdly and assiduously courted the Kennedy blessing. Some of Caroline’s veiled dislike of Hillary was perhaps also vigor envy. No self-doubt in Hillary. No fear of the fight".

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-05/caroline-the-reasons-why

of the vote totals to reach their conculsions.....that's some study you guys got there. LOL

I'm sure Obama would like Dean out of the picture asap.

from Prop. 8 to rappers advocating violence against gays to atheletes saying they don't want gay people on their teams to

black preachers saying they are "in a war with homosexuality" yet some still try to blame the victim.

If no black votes were counted regarding Prop 8 (either for or against) it would not have passed.

African Americans are clearly to blame for trying to take away the rights of gays/lesbians along with organized religion.