Free Republic

They have lobbied in the halls of Congress wearing pig costumes and wandered the streets of Manhattan dressed in evening wear and rags. But the three founders of the women's antiwar group Codepink are seasoned advocates who may have pulled off the protest coup of the convention: While thousands of demonstrators chanted on the streets, drawing only glancing attention from the Republicans, their members were inside Madison Square Garden night after night, unfurling banners and baring slogans, forcing even the president to take notice. ''We don't want just to be outside on the street talking to ourselves,'' said Medea Benjamin,...

Last week, Bishop William K. Weigand of Sacramento stood up and acted in the manner Christ expected from those who would follow in the footsteps of his 12 Apostles as shepherds of His flock. As has been widely reported, Bishop Weigand laid down the gauntlet before California Gov. Gray Davis, a nominal Catholic, and told him that as long as he continued his fervent support of the crime of legal abortion he could not receive communion - therefore all but pronouncing excommunication on Davis. Echoing the recent Vatican instruction about supporting so-called Catholic politicians or others who support abortion, the...

<p>Davis will instead attend Mass in L.A. Aides say logistics, not a dispute, are behind the change.</p> <p>Inaugural events for Gov. Gray Davis will not include a traditional public worship service as planned, but officials said Monday that the schedule change has nothing to do with the Democratic governor's recent dust-up with a Catholic priest over abortion rights. Releasing the final list of events to be held Jan. 4-6, the governor's inaugural committee said Davis will attend Mass in Los Angeles with his family Jan. 5 rather than preside at an interfaith service at the Sacramento Convention Center.</p>

Why does the dockworker leadership think blaming the Bush Administration for their thoughtless action involving the West Coast Port Authority will help DemocRATS in the upcoming election? They honestly believe their 'veil of deception' will not be pierced. California, since the .com 'crash', has been hurting, so the dockworkers pick now to 'stop the flow' of goods into the state and country. How does ruining Christmas help the 'working man'? It will only make Governor Davis budget woes(mostly of his own, and the Sacramento leftist Legislature, making) even worse. The rank-and-file dockworker buys the talking point that, technically, they were...

California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. donated $320K to Gray Davis' campaign raising the total contributions to $1,014,000 since he took office making the association the largest contributor. Davis signed legislation this year granting the union's members a pay raise of as much as 37% over 5 years.