Al Sharpton, "Civil Rights Leader"

Plus "Muslim-Bashers in the Blogosphere"
Al Sharpton, "Civil Rights Leader"
"Mr. Sharpton, a civil rights leader who has often protested police actions in high-profile and racially charged cases, challenged the police to explain what had happened." - From reporter Robert McFadden's November 26 story on the shooting of three men by undercover cops at a strip club in Queens.

"Muslim-Bashers in the Blogosphere"
"Arab news reports highlighted the fact that Mr. Ellison would probably take the oath of office on the Koran, something which also upset Muslim-bashers in the blogosphere." - Neil MacFarquhar in a November 10 story on new Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in Congress. MacFarquhar barely mentioned Ellison's past links to the Nation of Islam and its anti-Semitic leader Louis Farrakhan.

The "Incendiary" Accusation that Pelosi, Rangel, and Conyers are Liberals
"As he campaigned for re-election, the Republican who lost his seat in the House of Representatives here on Tuesday threw several incendiary barbs suggesting that the opposition was beyond the mainstream of these placid southern Indiana environs: 'Homosexual agenda'; 'San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi'; 'New York liberal Charlie Rangel'; 'Detroit liberal John Conyers.'" - Adam Nossiter, November 12.

"Mr. Bush's So-Called War on Terror"
"Americans have a right to know what standards their president has been applying to the treatment of prisoners. The nation's image is at stake, as well as the safety of every man and woman who is fighting Mr. Bush's so-called war on terror." - November 15 editorial.

More of "Staunch Conservative" John Murtha
"Mr. Murtha, a staunch conservative on most issues with the exception of his highly publicized opposition to the Iraq war, enjoys support from some of the most liberal Democrats. Mr. Hoyer, the more liberal of the two, has attracted strong backing from moderates and centrists, as well as some of the most seasoned House Democrats." - Congressional reporter Carl Hulse, November 16. The American Conservative Union awards Murtha a lifetime rating of 33 out of 100.

Incurious George in Vietnam: He's No Bill Clinton
"But the mood of this trip could not have been more different from the visit of another president, Bill Clinton, exactly six years ago this weekend, when he seemed to be everywhere. And while the difference says much about the personalities of two presidents who both famously avoided serving in the war here, it reveals a lot about how significantly times have changed - and perhaps why America's 'public diplomacy' seems unable to shift into gear." - David Sanger comparing Bush's trip to Vietnam with one made by Bill Clinton, November 19.

Keeping John Bolton at UN = Broken Promise By Bush
"President Bush has pledged to be a bipartisan consensus builder now thatDemocrats are to control Congress, and since Wednesday he has made conciliatory gestures. The question now is whether Mr. Bush is ready to junk all of his make-nice pledges in order to keep John R. Bolton at the United Nations." - Helene Cooper, November 11.