Senior Tehran officials are recommending a preemptive strike against Israel to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear reactors, a senior Islamic Republic official told foreign diplomats two weeks ago in London.

The official, Dr. Seyed G. Safavi, said recent threats by Israeli authorities strengthened this position, but that as of yet, a preemptive strike has not been integrated into Iranian policy.

The "socialist" label that Sen. John McCain and his GOP presidential running mate Sarah Palin are trying to attach to Sen. Barack Obama actually has long and very ugly historical roots.
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How many "black" socialists have there been in history?

Today, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), the largest rabbinic and synagogue Orthodox Jewish organizations in North America, released a joint statement opposing the practice of same-sex marriage.

Citing Jewish law and tradition, the RCA and OU reaffirm the prohibition of homosexuality and the definition of the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman. The two groups state that the term "marriage" cannot be construed or applied to same-sex relationships, as to do so "is to deprive the term of its fundamental and defining meaning." The two groups call upon Jews and citizens everywhere to oppose any effort to bestow the sanctity of marriage upon same sex couples.

"We are joining together today to illustrate the very clear definition of marriage within the context of Jewish Law and Jewish tradition," said Rabbi Kenneth Auman, president of the Rabbinical Council of America.

It’s been called, cleverly but aptly, “The War of the Ring.” It is being waged all
across the public square, but the hottest and most consequential battles are in the courts.
On one side are those who want marriage legally redefined to “the union of any two
persons,” with the law treating the parties’ gender as irrelevant to the civil meaning of
marriage. Hence, “genderless marriage.” On the other side are those who want to
preserve “the union of a man and a woman” as a core meaning of the marriage institution.
Hence, “man/woman marriage.”

The Pew Research Center declares, "polls conducted in campaigns pitting white and black candidates against each other are doing a better job of accurately predicting the outcome of the election now than in the past, suggesting that hidden biases that confounded polling in biracial elections in the 1980s and early 1990s are no longer a serious problem."
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Analysis after the election will be the subject of many a dissertation

Democrats are expected to gain legislative seats Nov. 4, which would make agreeing on a spending plan less contentious.
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There is an argument that the GOP should support Democrat efforts to overturn the 2/3 vote rule on the California budget. Why not let the Democrats in the majority own their budget without ANY GOP support?