Opinion: In today’s pages: AIDS stats, Annapolis, American empire
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The editorial board responds to Sen. Trent Lott’s (R-Miss.) decision to leave the Senate just before new ‘revolving door’ rules take effect:
Lott voted against the ethics bill and was a vocal opponent of the provision that forbids lawmakers from accepting rides on corporate jets. Surely a senior senator wouldn’t resign because he was forced to fly commercial? However, if Lott were now to join, say, the former lobbying firm of his friend and current Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, he could move from the Capitol right over to the K Street corridor, where his skills as one of Washington’s preeminent political deal makers could fetch a salary in the high six figures. It’s a safe bet that it’s not the national interest he would be advancing.
The board urges California Secretary of State Debra Bowen to act quickly and review InkaVote Plus voting machines. And the board says AIDS is still a major problem, despite the U.N.’s downward revision of numbers.
Columnist Jonah Goldberg says Pax American is a-ok. Author Zev Chafets argues that the Annapolis summit on the Middle East, whether or not it brings about a new peace plan, is already a winner for Bush. Dan Gilgoff, editor of Beliefnet’s God-o-meter, thinks evangelicals are showing flexibility by backing unexpected GOP candidates.
Readers discuss the Middle East summit. See why Stephen Goldberg, national vice president of the Zionist Organization of America, says Annapolis is ‘destined to fail.’