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AL GORE'S MAD MESSAGE
The former vice president gets worked up at Constitution Hall.
By Byron York

In an alternate universe, coverage of Al Gore's speech in Washington Monday might begin with the former vice president's ringing defense of the virtually unlimited exercise of presidential power in times of emergency. "The threat of additional terror strikes is all too real and their concerted efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction does create a real imperative to exercise the powers of the executive branch with swiftness and agility," Gore told the audience at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall. "Moreover, there is in fact an inherent power that is conferred by the Constitution to the president to take unilateral action to protect the nation from a sudden and immediate threat, but it is simply not possible to precisely define in legalistic terms exactly when that power is appropriate and when it is not."

An alternate-universe report might note that Gore's position — stated by the man formerly a heartbeat away from being commander-in-chief — boldly contradicted the claims of Democrats who argue that, in the NSA-al Qaeda surveillance matter, the president's authority to order warrantless surveillance of possible terror suspects is tightly bound by the limits imposed in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Gore's speech might then set off an intense debate among Democrats about the extent of presidential authority.

But that's the alternate-universe version.

You can read the entire commentary at
http://nationalreview.com/york/york200601170833.asp

THE LEFT HATES INEQUALITY, NOT INJUSTICE
By Dennis Prager

To understand any political ideology, one must understand what most animates it. For the Left, it is hatred of inequality. As noted in a previous column, the Left hates inequality even more than it hates evil. Or perhaps more accurately, for the Left, inequality is the ultimate evil.

You can read the entire commentary at
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-1_17_06_DP.html

LAURA DEFENDS THE GOP
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 17, 2006

MONROVIA, Liberia -- First lady Laura Bush yesterday rejected Democratic claims that Republicans are mired in a "culture of corruption" and said she'd be "glad" to campaign for Republican candidates in the fall.

"It isn't true," Mrs. Bush said of the "culture of corruption" charges in an exclusive interview with The Washington Times while here for the inauguration of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president of Liberia.

Mrs. Bush offered her star power to Republican candidates after saying she did not know how the Democrats' accusations will affect the congressional elections in November.

"I'll be glad to campaign for Republicans who ask me to campaign for them or do fundraisers for them," the first lady said at the U.S. ambassador's residence here.

. . . The first lady is traveling in Africa with her daughter Barbara, who has a keen interest in the troubled continent. Mrs. Bush pointed out that last year, Barbara "went to South Africa, where she worked at a pediatric hospital, and then she did UNICEF work in Botswana.

"She's very interested in Africa and she loves it, and really her interest has stimulated mine," the first lady added. "Barbara has been a big influence on me, influenced my interest in Africa."

Barbara's twin sister, Jenna, is not accompanying her mother on this trip.

"Jenna's teaching school in a charter school, and she loves education," said Mrs. Bush, a former teacher. "She's having a great time. She's interested particularly in the charter school movement and really wanted to work in a charter school."

The first lady also backed the president's decision in November to make a more aggressive defense of his Iraq policy. She lauded Iraqis for electing a permanent government last month.

"It's really important for him to talk to the American people about the war in Iraq and about what the United States' goals are," she said, "because I'm not so sure that the press does get the word out on how important the vote was there."

Since rejoining the Iraq debate in earnest, the president has seen his job approval ratings climb, although he and his wife often say they are unaffected by polls.

"I only really pay attention when they're really good," Mrs. Bush joked.

Mrs. Bush also revealed that her IPod listening includes songs by Tina Turner and Dolly Parton. She said her musical tastes are somewhat different from those of her husband.

"He likes country music a little bit more than I do, although I actually really am very fond of country music, as well," she said. "One of the songs on my IPod that I love is Dolly Parton singing 'Stairway to Heaven.' So that's sort of a combination, country and pop."

You can read the entire article at
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060117-121928-7268r_page2.htm

THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA
The Church Report (magazine/website)

The Church Report is pleased to announce this year’s list of The 50 Most Influential Christians in America. Thanks to the readers of the magazine as well as the online readers for contributing over 150,000 nominations. Each of the people on this list is most deserving of this recognition. As with all types of lists, there are those who are not on the list – not because they weren’t deserving – but simply because we did not have enough space to publish a list of the 100 most influential. The staff of The Church Report did not choose this list; rather, we feel that the nominations from Christians across America and around the world are much more meaningful.

GUESS WHO'S NUMBER 8?!

You can read the entire article at
http://www.thechurchreport.com/content/view/823/32/