RELIGION
The Pope's Message Of Healing

Yesterday in New York City, Pope Benedict XVI capped off his six-day visit to the United States -- his first as leader of the Roman Catholic Church -- where he presided over Mass at Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 57,000 people, calling on those in attendance to "unite behind church teachings and resist the challenges of living in a society that increasingly values secularism." Before Mass yesterday, the Pope led a morning ceremony at Ground Zero, where he blessed the World Trade Center site, "prayed for peace and met with a group of survivors and families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." "Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred," Benedict said, adding, "Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that lives lost here may not have been lost in vain." Days earlier in Washington, D.C., Benedict met with a small group of victims of clergy sex abuse -- "the first publicly known meeting between a pontiff and victims since the most recent scandal erupted in Boston six years ago." While the meeting was described as a "moving experience," one victim who attended was quoted as having told Benedict: "Holy Father, I want you to know you have a cancer in your flock and you need to correct that, and I hope you do. You need to do more."

'NOTHING POSITIVE COMES FROM IRAQ':  The pope largely shied away from hot button political issues during his visit, but in a speech to the United Nations last Friday, Benedict seemed to turn his attention to President Bush and his administration's unilateral and hubristic foreign policy over the last seven years. While Benedict stressed human rights, he also warned against "the unwillingness of many nations to embrace multilateralism at a time when the world's problems 'call for interventions in the form of collective action.'" Benedict did not single out the United States specifically, but his remarks had been interpreted as being directed at the Bush administration. Indeed, last year, the pope said, "Nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees." During his visit, Benedict met privately with Bush, only the second pontiff ever to visit the White House, but administration officials tried to downplay their disagreement on the Iraq war. Moreover, Benedict "refused a recent request by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the Middle East and Iraq." Some have suggested that the refusal harks back to a meeting just before the Iraq war commenced in March 2003 in which Rice -- then National Security Adviser -- told a papal envoy that "the Bush administration was not interested in the views of the late Pope [John Paul II] on the immorality of launching its planned military offensive." Benedict has also sharply disagreed with Bush on the issue of torture, explaining that it is an "unacceptable" method for extracting information.

FAMILY SEPARATION IS 'TRULY DANGEROUS': In addition to addressing the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals, Benedict's visit touched on immigration. The pope stressed that the issue would be a priority in his discussions with Bush, saying just before he arrived that the United States must do "everything possible to fight...all forms of violence so that immigrants may lead dignified lives" and that the separation of immigrant families "is truly dangerous for the social, moral and human fabric." Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) criticized the pope's comments on immigration, saying his "faith-based marketing" may have "less to do with spreading the Gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the Church." But some in the "Catholic hierarchy said they were shocked that on the same day that Benedict and President Bush affirmed in a joint statement the need for a policy that treats immigrants humanely and protects their families, federal agents were conducting raids at five chicken plants. They arrested more than 300 immigrants accused of being illegal workers." Undermining Benedict's edict that separating immigrant families is "dangerous," the Bush administration has sharply increased deportations. In the last fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 280,000 people, a 44 percent jump from the previous year.

'BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIP': While in Washington, Benedict addressed 200 leaders of five other faiths -- including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Judaism -- at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. He noted that "Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience." In an effort to encourage interfaith dialogue, he said, "In our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity. While always uniting our hearts and minds in the call for peace, we must also listen attentively to the voice of truth." Benedict also visited the the Park East Synagogue in New York City just before the start of the Jewish Sabbath, "the first time a pope had set foot inside a Jewish house of worship in the United States." There, Benedict "encouraged worshippers to 'continue building bridges of friendship' with different ethnic and religious groups in their neighborhoods." Benedict has previously advocated reaching out to Jewish leaders. "As theological adviser to Pope John Paul II, he is credited with playing a key role in John Paul's decision to apologize to Jews for the role Catholics played in the Holocaust."

Under the Radar

IRAQ -- AS SADR THREATENS FULL-SCALE WAR, RICE MOCKS HIS POWER: On Saturday, radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr vowed "open war until liberation" if the Iraqi government refused to end a crackdown on his militias. This weekend, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to Iraq, where she mocked Sadr "as a coward," the AP noted.  "I know he's sitting in Iran," Rice said dismissively of Sadr. "I guess it's all-out war for anybody but him. ... I guess that's the message; his followers can go too their deaths and he's in Iran." Rice's visit was interrupted by violence. A ceremony featuring Rice in the Green Zone was delayed by a "duck and cover" alert, "one of several during her six-hour visit to the fortified compound housing the U.S. Embassy and much of the Iraqi government." In all, there were three separate rocket attacks during her visit. The AP notes that a "full-blown uprising by al-Sadr, who led two rebellions against U.S.-led forces in 2004, could lead to a dramatic increase in violence in Iraq at a time when the Sunni extremist group Al Qaeda in Iraq appears poised for new attacks after suffering severe blows last year."

HUMAN RIGHTS -- TORTURE VICTIM'S RECORDS AT GUANTANAMO MYSTERIOUSLY LOST: In Torture Team, a new book by one of Britain's top human rights lawyers, Philippe Sands, reveals that a Guantanamo detainee's records that detailed how he was tortured by his American captors were mysteriously lost. According to the former head of interrogations at the camp, Michael Dunlavey, the records on Mohammed al-Qahtani, who was accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks, "were backed up ... after I left, there was a snafu and all was lost." "Saudi-born al-Qahtani was sexually taunted, forced to perform dog tricks and given enemas at Guantanamo." Sands's book also reveals that senior Bush administration figures "pushed through previously outlawed measures with the aid of inexperienced military officials at Guantanamo," and lawyers "charged with devising interrogation techniques were inspired by the exploits of Jack Bauer in the American TV series 24." This month, ABC News reported that top White House officials specifically authorized the torture of many detainees -- with President Bush's approval.

ETHICS -- REP. YOUNG DENIES ABRAMOFF TIES, BUT RECORDS SHOW OTHERWISE: In 2006, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) said that he "never had any personal or professional relationship" with jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and "never received one cent from him." Weeks later, Talking Points Memo reported that Young took a trip to the Mariana Islands in 2000 that was organized by Abramoff. While Young has insisted that Abramoff was never an "influential force over him in Congress," following the trip, Young "blocked a bill sponsored by House Democrats that would have made the garment industry there comply with federal labor laws," an action that was favored by the Abramoff-represented local government and garment industry. Yesterday, the Anchorage Daily News followed up on the story, reporting that Abramoff's team of lobbyists had "120 contacts with Young's personal and committee staffs over 25 months, including at least 10 with Young himself." Abramoff's influence over Young was also evident in e-mails between Abramoff and a fellow lobbyist that said, "Young should be there for six years -- that is plenty of time to develop appropriate clients, sign them up and deliver."

Think Fast

$3.47 a gallon: The average price of self-serve regular gasoline on Friday, according to the Lundberg Survey. Mid-grade was at $3.59 and premium was $3.70. "The national average price for regular gasoline rose nearly 16 cents in the past two weeks. ... Regular is up 60 cents from a year ago."

The economy has soared past Iraq as the top problem on the minds of voters. "With growing layoffs, tight credit and an ailing housing market, 67 percent say the economy is an extremely important issue, up from 46 percent in November. Gasoline prices follow close behind at 59 percent."

The state of the economy is also the top concern for voters between the ages of 18 and 29, according to a new CBS News/MTV poll. Seventy-five percent of young adults say that "the state of the economy is bad," and only one-third believe "their job prospects are excellent or good."

"The Bush administration is challenging a court ruling that White House visitor logs are public documents, saying releasing the records would infringe on the separation of powers." Government lawyers argue that the president and vice president "must be able to receive visitors and solicit advice privately."

In the battle of Basra, Iran and the United States find themselves on the same side. "The American-Iranian convergence is all the more remarkable because of mutual animosity. The United States says that Iran has backed thousands of attacks on American troops in Iraq. ... Meanwhile, at the level of senior officials at least, Iran takes quite seriously its depiction of the United States as the planet's Great Satan."

Today, a San Francisco court will hear a class action lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who claim that the government's "inadequate care is leading to an increase in suicides." Approximately 18 veterans -- five of them under VA care -- kill themselves each day.

And finally: Last week, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) "proved why he's a Congressman, not an 'American Idol' finalist." During a floor speech on Wednesday, Westmoreland tried to add "a musical punctuation" to a policy point. He began singing the theme song to the old sci-fi show "The Twilight Zone." "Dada dee da. Dada dee da," Westmoreland sang. Unfortunately, his "monotone attempt at singing" was "so inscrutable, it didn't even make it into the Congressional Record transcript."

Good News

"Pakistan's new government plans to present a resolution in Parliament calling for judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf when he imposed emergency rule in November to be restored to power."

State Watch

MASSACHUSETTS: State Senate "unanimously approved a first-in-the-nation law banning all gifts to doctors from pharmaceutical companies" but removed a controversial provision that would have criminalized the practice.

CALIFORNIA: "A new nonprofit institution plans to build a $115 million stem cell research facility in San Diego that would open by 2010."

MARYLAND: State is joining effort to put locally grown food in school cafeterias.

Blog Watch

THINK PROGRESS: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R): President Bush's new global warming plan equals "no more glaciers."

WONK ROOM: In review: President Bush's day of climate contempt.

ATTACKERMAN: In Iraq, Najaf is beginning to look like Basra.

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: Brookings Institution scholar Ken Pollack supports misleading the public by using "al Qaeda" as a "catchall phrase" for the insurgency in Iraq.

Daily Grill

"[I]n each instance, when the [capital gains tax] rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money."
-- ABC News's Charles Gibson, 4/16/08

VERSUS

"Even under the Treasury's most optimistic scenario about the economic effects of these tax cuts, the tax cuts would not generate anywhere close to enough added economic growth to pay for themselves -- and would thus lose money."
-- Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/18/08

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