LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’m going to make sure that people understand that this is a different direction for the nation. If they want the status quo, they can re-elect the person who has been leading us over the last four years.”
Mitt Romney, Republican presidential nominee Article, 1A
Gingrich calls on GOP to endorse Akin
ST. LOUIS - Former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich broke with national party leaders and endorsed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, saying other Republicans must “in good conscience” do the same.
“If Todd and the people of Missouri prove it’s a close race, what’s the moral case for not backing the Republican nominee?” Gingrich said.
Appearing at an Akin campaign event on Monday in Kirkwood, a St. Louis suburb, Gingrich said Republicans across the country should consider that a victory by Akin “is a key to winning control of the Senate.”
Akin, a Republican U.S. representative, is trying to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.
“This will come down to a very simple question: Do you want to keep Harry Reid as the majority leader?” Gingrich said to shouts of “No” from Akin supporters. Reid is a Nevada Democrat.
Republicans, including presidential nominee Mitt Romney, called on Akin to leave the race after he said in an Aug.
19 television interview that “legitimate rape” rarely results in pregnancy.
NYC ads equate Muslims to savages
NEW YORK - Advertisements equating Muslim radicals with savages appeared in New York City subways on Monday.
The ads - reading, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” - went up in 10 stations across Manhattan after a court victory by a conservative commentator who once headed a campaign against an Islamic center near the World Trade Center site.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York initially refused to run blogger Pamela Geller’s ad, saying it was “demeaning.” But a federal judge ruled in July that it is protected speech under the First Amendment.
The ad was plastered on San Francisco city buses in recent weeks, prompting some people to deface the ads and remove some of the words, including “Jihad,” or holy war.
There were no immediate reports of similar mischief in New York on Monday.
Geller said the subway ads cost about $6,000. The MTA said they will be up for a month.
Accused Fort Hood killer in hospital
FORT WORTH - The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage has been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons, military officials said Monday.
Maj. Nidal Hasan was listed in good condition after being admitted to the Texas Army post’s hospital Saturday, and he should be released within two days, according to a Fort Hood new release. Medical privacy laws prevent the disclosure of information about Hasan’s health or why he’s there, the release said.
Hasan, 42, faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted in the November 2009 attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than two dozen others.
Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down after police at Fort Hood shot him the day of the rampage, but he has not been hospitalized since he was released in March 2010 after recovering from the gunshot wounds.
Bush kicks off Warrior Open in Dallas
IRVING, Texas - Former President George W. Bush on Monday kicked off a golf tournament for wounded members of the U.S. military, saying the event was not only a chance to watch good golf, but also “a celebration of patriotism, courage and sacrifice.”
“I want to thank the players for being here and I wish them all the best,” Bush said. “I’m looking forward to presenting the trophy to the best golfer. If we had to give a trophy to the best person, everybody’s a winner.”
Twenty-two military members wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are participating in the two-day Warrior Open, which Bush is hosting in the Dallas suburb of Irving.
The tournament, now in its second year, is part of the George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, which is part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Those taking part in the event this year include retired U.S. Army Cpl. Chad Pfeifer, who won last year’s tournament.
“The competition for golf was good and to be able to hang out with President Bush - it was great,” he said. “He’s always thought about the troops and for him to continue to do that even when he’s out of office is incredible.”
Front Section, Pages 3 on 09/25/2012