The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night criticized Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats’ signature healthcare bill. “We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill from Alabama,” Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night. “You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.” The remark stirred a murmur at the reception, held by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation as part of a series of events revolving around the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s run for president. Several CBC members were in attendance, including Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who’d introduced Jackson. Davis, who is running for governor, is the only black member of Congress from Alabama. He is also the only member of the CBC to have voted against the healthcare bill earlier this month. Davis referred to Jackson’s 1988 run for president in a statement, issued through his office, that said he would not engage Jackson on his criticism. “One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader,” Davis’s statement said. “The best way to honor Rev. Jackson’s legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called the remarks "vintage Jesse Jackson," but said Davis's vote against healthcare was consistent with a voting record more conservative than many CBC members. "Artur Davis has a more conservative constituency," Waters said. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) said each man was doing what he considered the right thing. "People have a right to vote their constituency, and people have a right to speak their conscience," Jackson-Lee said. "Both happened." Davis said he voted against the healthcare bill because "House leadership's approach is not the best we can do." He said he preferred a version passed by the Senate Finance Committee because it reduces subsidization of the healthcare industry, taxes high-value health plans instead of wealthy people, and is more effective in getting employers to help with health coverage.
EU leaders have agreed to appoint Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as EU president and Britain's Catherine Ashton as its foreign affairs chief. "This is a breakthrough," said Martin Schulz, a German legislator who heads the Socialist grouping in the European Parliament. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who chaired the meeting, said it took time to consult with all of his other 26 EU colleagues. "But it’s very important to show that everyone has a say, that this is the Europe of 27, that everyone was actually in on this decision, and this also showed tonight when we unanimously could support both of these candidates," Reinfeldt said. Differences over political affiliations, geographical considerations and even gender have been a severe strain on the selection process over the last several weeks. There has even been frequent bickering over what role exactly the president should play as the top representative of the European Union. Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, 62, has been in charge of the Belgian coalition government for less than one year. His tenure has seen a calming of the often turmoil-stricken Belgian government. During the mid-to-late ‘90s, Van Rompuy held the post of budget minister under the Christian Democrat-led government of Jean-Luc Dehaene. He was regarded as a budgetary hardliner and has been critical of governments spending their way out of recession. Prior to entering politics Van Rompuy held a position in the Belgian central bank. He is also known as having strong religious convictions and as an intellectual, and has authored six books. Catherine Ashton, 53 and formally a Baroness, has been a close ally of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown since joining the UK Labour Party. Ashton had held a number of mid-level positions in the UK government related to education, justice and human rights before being promoted to the position of EU trade commissioner a year ago. During her time in Brussels Ashton has been a central figure in trade negotiations with nations such as China and Russia.
Colombia's government says Venezuelan soldiers have blown up two small pedestrian bridges that stretch across their border. Colombia's Defense Minister says the incident is a violation of international law. [Gabriel Silva, Colombian Defense Minister]: "Today in the north of Santander, in the town of Ragonvalia, uniformed men that had arrived to the Venezuelan side in SUVs and apparently were Venezuelan army members, found two community pedestrian bridges linking the communities on both sides, civilian bridges constructed by locals, and they dynamited the bridges on the Venezuelan side affecting the normal life of the community in the area." This is the latest incident to test diplomatic ties between the two Andean neighbors. Colombia plans to allow the United States more access to its military bases as part of anti-drug and counter-insurgency cooperation against leftist guerrillas. The Venezuelan President has sent more troops to the border. Hugo Chavez told his military commanders to "prepare for war" because he says the U.S. base plan could be used to stage an invasion of his nation.
President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias has said he looks forward to close cooperation with the EU leadership elected on Thursday evening during an informal meeting of the EU leaders. Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy was named the EU’s first president while British Catherine Ashton was appointed High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Pierre de Boissieu was elected Secretary-General of the Council Secretariat. Speaking in Brussels after the meeting, President Christofias said, “I would like to express my congratulations and note that we look forward to a close and constructive cooperation.” He said that with this decision, the EU is now ready to undertake action based on the Lisbon Treaty, which will come into effect on 1st December. “We hope that with its implementation, the EU will become more effective and powerful so it can play a more active role in international relations and promote the principles and values on which it is based,” President Christofias remarked. He also said “we will work so that this course will lead to a Europe with greater cohesion and a more social face, a Europe that will be closer to its citizens, will be more democratic, fairer and will be a factor of improvement, prosperity and stability.” Concluding, the Cypriot President said “we expect that it will be able to decisively contribute in the resolution of problems and consolidation of peace and stability, with full respect and cooperation with the wider international community”.
United States Army Major Nidal Hasan told a radical cleric considered by authorities to be an al-Qaeda recruiter, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, according to an American official with top secret access to 18 e-mails exchanged between Hasan and the cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, over a six month period between Dec. 2008 and June 2009. Other messages include questions, the official with access to the e-mails said, that include when is jihad appropriate, and whether it is permissible if there are innocents killed in a suicide attack. "Hasan told Awlaki he couldn't wait to join him in the discussions they would having over non-alcoholic wine in the afterlife." Major Hasan also wrote, "My strength is my financial capabilities." Federal investigators have found that Hasan donated $20,000 to $30,000 a year to overseas Islamic "charities." Two FBI task forces, in Washington and San Diego, received the intercepted messages, but deemed them innocent. On Capitol Hill today, Senators questioned how that could be. "The choice of this recipient of emails says a lot about what Hasan was looking for," said Senator Joseph Lieberman, chair of the Senate's Homeland Security committee. Lieberman's committee held a hearing on the Fort Hood shootings, and announced that it was launching an investigation. "What I'm getting at," said Lieberman, "Is he may have been looking for spiritual sanctions for what he's accused of ultimately doing." Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced his own investigation of the incident. Gates said the Pentagon probe would try "to find possible gaps or deficiencies in Defense Department programs, processes and procedures for identifying service members who could potentially pose credible threats to others." "I promise the Department of Defense's full and open disclosure," said Gates.
A masked gunman entered a church and murdered a Russian Orthodox priest who had received death threats for converting Muslims to Christianity and criticizing Islam, prosecutors and church officials said Friday. The killing could threaten delicate relations between the powerful majority Russian Orthodox Church, which has close ties to the Kremlin, and the country's Muslim minority. The gunman approached priest Daniil Sysoyev, 34, in St Thomas Church in southern Moscow Thursday night, checked his name and then opened fire with a pistol, a spokesman for the investigating committee of the Prosecutor-General's office said. "The main theory is that religious motives are behind the crime," spokesman Anatoly Bagmet said. Sysoyev died on the way to hospital. His choirmaster was injured in the attack, Bagmet said, and is in hospital under armed guard. Sysoyev was from Tatarstan, a predominantly Muslim region of Russia on the Volga river. He was threatened after preaching to Muslims and Christians from other denominations. "I have received 10 threats via e-mail that I shall have my head cut off (if I do not stop preaching to Muslims)," Sysoyev stated on a television program in February 2008, according to Interfax. "As I see it, it is a sin not to preach to Muslims." Russia is home to Europe's largest Muslim community. The Russian Patriarch's press service refused to comment on the murder but some of Sysoyev's Orthodox colleagues referred to Muslim attacks on him prior to the killing. "Father Daniil ... has been periodically receiving e-mails which said he will be treated as 'infidel' if he did not stop polemics with Muslims," Kiril Frolov, the head of the Orthodox Experts Association, told Interfax news agency.
On Thursday, November 19, 2009, with the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH of All America and Canada, His Grace, Bishop IRENEE of Quebec City and Vicar of the Archdiocese of Canada, together with the Very Reverend Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate participated in the Divine Liturgy and Funeral Service for His Holiness, Patriarch PAVLE of Serbia, officially representing the Orthodox Church in America at the event. The day began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 7:30 am, led by His All Holiness, Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarchate, together with His Eminence, Metropolitan AMPHILOCHIJE of Montenegro and the Coastlands and Locum Tenens of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Beatitude, DANIEL, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudgea, Locum tenens of the throne of Caesarea of Cappadocia, Patriarch of Romania; His Beatitude, ANASTASIOS, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania; His Beatitude, Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Primate of the Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia; and with official Representatives from all 15 Autocephalous Orthodox Churches also concelebrating at Belgrade’s Archangel Michael Sobor across from the Patriarchate’s official Chancery. After the conclusion of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, His All Holiness, Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW together with the other Primates of Local Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and the concelebrating Hierarchs and clergy processed to the Memorial Church of St. Sava of Serbia where the funeral service was celebrated in the open air before the church’s main entrance. In attendance at the funeral of the newly departed Patriarch PAVLE was the President of Serbia, Boris Tadic who offered words at an appropriate time, following sermons by His All Holiness, Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW and His Eminence, Metropolitan AMPHILOCHIJE on the life and legacy of the newly departed and ever memorable Serbian Patriarch. Also in attendance were other members of the Serbian Government, foreign Ambassadors and Official Representatives of numerous Sovereign Nations, inter-faith religious leaders, and over one million Serbian Orthodox faithful who came to pray for the blessed repose of their beloved and newly departed Patriarch PAVLE. His Grace, Bishop IRENEE of Quebec City and Archimandrite Zacchaeus participated in the memorial meal following the funeral which was held in the church’s parish hall and attended by the concelebrating Patriarchs, Hierarchs and Clergy. There, both the bishop and the archimandrite were able to convey condolences to the Serbian Orthodox Church, through their hierarchs, on behalf of His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH, the Holy Synod of Bishops, Clergy, Monastics and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America. May Patriarch PAVLE’s memory be eternal! A photogallery from the liturgy and Funeral of Patriarch PAVLE of Serbia in Belgrade on November 19 2009, can be viewed here.