NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST November 27, 2007

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NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/us/politics/27adbox.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

The Ad Campaign
Huckabee Lays Out His Claim as an 'Authentic Conservative'

By MICHAEL LUO
November 27, 2007

This television advertisement for Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansasgovernor and Republican presidential candidate, began running yesterday inIowa:

PRODUCER Dresner, Wickers & Associates.

THE SCRIPT Mr. Huckabee says: "Faith doesn't just influence me; it reallydefines me. I don't have to wake up every day wondering, 'What do I need tobelieve?'" Snippets from Mr. Huckabee's rousing speech before the ValuesVoters Summit in Washington last month follow: "Let us never sacrifice ourprinciples for anybody's politics, not now, not ever." Mr. Huckabee says hebelieves "life begins at conception." The advertisement goes back to theValues Voters event, when he says: "We believe in some things. We stand forsome things. We live or die by those things."

ON THE SCREEN The commercial starts with a close-up of Mr. Huckabee, dressedcasually and speaking directly to the camera. The images change to him on afarm, with words superimposed on the screen in large type and all capitalletters, "Christian leader," then a quote from Time magazine calling him"one of America's best governors." When he talks about his stance onabortion, there is a clip of him with some children and type on screen abouthis support for a federal amendment banning abortion and his work in passinga Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Arkansas. Thecommercial concludes with him on the farm again, with the words "provenleader" and "authentic conservative" on the screen.

ACCURACY As a former Baptist minister, Mr. Huckabee could certainly becalled a Christian leader, and no one would dispute his conservative stanceson abortion and same-sex marriage. But his fiscal policies and stances onillegal immigrants while he was governor have troubled some conservatives.

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WashingtonPost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/26/AR2007112602335.html

Web Videos Aim Questions At GOP Field
Candidates Expecting The Unexpected at Debate

By Jose Antonio Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Page A06

Among the thousands of videos uploaded on YouTube for tomorrow's GOP debatein St. Petersburg, Fla., a question lasting no more than three seconds mayprove to be one of the toughest: "What does the word 'Republican' mean toyou?"

Tomorrow night, after months of delay caused at least in part by candidates'concerns about the format, the Republican contenders will face their versionof the CNN/YouTube debate. As with the first YouTube debate four months ago,when the Democratic candidates fielded questions from, among others, atalking snowman that asked about global warming, the GOP candidates aren'tentirely sure how to prepare.

"We don't know what to expect," said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman forformer senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.).

The period for submitting questions via YouTube video ended yesterday, andalmost 5,000 were offered up as fodder for the debate. The videos are asdiverse as the questioners themselves, coming from all ages and backgrounds,and from Republicans and Democrats alike. In one, a black woman from Dallas,soon to be out of college and lamenting that she needs to learn Spanish tosecure a job, asks how the candidates feel about non-English-speakingimmigrants. In another, a middle-age man from Tucson, sitting in hiswheelchair, asks about stem cell research. A gay Republican from Atlantaasks: "How can we make the Republican Party a more large, open tent?"

Other questions, many of them pointed, are directed to specific candidates.A former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asksformer Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is a Mormon, if he agreeswith the belief of the church that people who don't have white skin havebeen cursed by God for the sins of their forefathers.

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WashingtonPost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/26/AR2007112602083_pf.html

More Testing Pledged On HIV
Increasing Giveaway Of Condoms Also Part of D.C. Strategy

By David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 27, 2007; B01

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration pledged yesterday to triple thenumber of free condoms being distributed by the D.C. government within ayear and to work with city hospitals to increase HIV testing in emergencyrooms.

The plans were announced as the administration released a report that calledHIV-AIDS a "modern epidemic" in the District and showed that the condition,once considered a gay disease, has spread to the general population.

Of the 3,269 HIV cases identified between 2001 and 2006, 37 percent werespread through heterosexual sex, compared with 25 percent attributable tomen having sex with men. The study also showed the stark impact on theAfrican American community, where more than 80 percent of the new cases wereidentified.

Almost 12,500 people in the District were known to have HIV or AIDS in 2006,the report said.

Shannon Hader, who directs the city's HIV/AIDS Administration, said thegovernment will ramp up several initiatives that began before she arrived inOctober. Among her goals is tripling the number of free condoms distributedby the city, to 3 million, by 2009 to help prevent the spread of cases.

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