Six months after stepping down as Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair has completed his long-expected conversion to Roman Catholicism from Britain's established church, Anglicanism, Catholics officials said in a statement Saturday. ...more

December 23, 2007

I think most Americans feel a little zing of pride when a Nobel Prize goes to an American. Kind of like when your favorite reporter wins a Pulitzer or our athletes win gold at the Olympics. Therefore, I was struck at the negative coverage of Al Gore becoming a laureate. Suddenly the Nobel committee has ulterior motives and an anti Bush agenda. Your paper published three editorial cartoons on the same day ridiculing the award and Mr. Gore, sandwiched between two over the top columns debunking global warming claims and Mr. Gore's involvement. Whether one believes that global warming is a crises or snake oil, the point is that this accomplished American embittered by losing an election picked himself up and became the front man for a cause. He took his message to the world, friend and foe alike, and the world listened, even though America's image has been shattered by other events in recent years. ...more

October 26, 2007

Despite a presidential veto threat, the Senate this week may send to the president's desk a more than $20 billion federal water-projects bill authorizing tens of millions of dollars for the Tampa Bay area. ...more

September 5, 2007