WASHINGTON

HURRICANE LENDS MOMENTUM TO FARRAKHAN’S MOVEMENT

Hurricane Katrina thrust racial disparities onto the nation’s political agenda and top civil rights leaders, fueled by outrage over the disaster, are heading to Washington. The occasion is the 10th anniversary of Louis Farrakhan’s Million Man March, a long planned event that now is shaping up as a stage for black America to respond to the devastation in New Orleans.

“Because Katrina put it out there, no one can play the pretend game any more that there isn’t poverty and inequality in this country,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. “The Millions More Movement – Katrina gives it added significance.”

– Associated Press

ROBERTSON FEARS VENEZUELAN NUKES

A prominent television evangelist, Pat Robertson, warned yesterday that President Chavez of Venezuela could soon threaten America with nuclear weapons.

“This man is setting up a Marxist-type dictatorship in Venezuela. He’s trying to spread Marxism throughout South America. He is negotiating with the Iranians to get nuclear material. And he also sent $1.2 million in cash to Osama bin Laden right after 9/11,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview with CNN.

The former Republican presidential hopeful and host of “The 700 Club” said he favors quick action against Mr. Chavez. However, Mr. Robertson said he should not have urged, as he did in August, that the Venezuelan leader be assassinated.

“I’ve written him. I apologized and I said I’m going to be praying for him. But one day we’re going to be staring at nuclear weapons and it won’t be Katrina facing New Orleans, it’s going to be a Venezuelan nuke,” Mr. Robertson said. “So my suggestion was: Isn’t it a lot cheaper sometimes to deal with these problems before you have to have a big war?”

Venezuelan officials have acknowledged seeking nuclear technology, but only for peaceful, energy-related uses. Mr. Chavez has denied that the country has any links to Al Qaeda.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

WEST

MCCAIN TO JOIN SCHWARZENEGGER BALLOT DRIVE

Two Republican mavericks are to make rare side-by-side appearances today in California as Senator McCain of Arizona joins Governor Schwarzenegger to campaign for a series of ballot measures the governor has endorsed. Aides to Mr. Schwarzenegger said they hope Mr. McCain’s credentials as a reformer will give a boost to the initiatives, which would affect the state’s budget, redistricting procedures, teacher tenure, and political fund raising by public employee unions.

With four weeks to go before the special election, some of the wealthiest players in the entertainment business are opening their checkbooks. Last week, a Hollywood producer who is a generous donor to liberal causes, Stephen Bing, donated $4 million to a group opposing the redistricting measure. The former head of the Spanish language TV network Univision, Jerrold Perenechio, also anted up $1.75 million to push for passage of that measure and several others the governor is supporting.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun