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by The Editors
Face the Nation
Bombs and God
Guest one: National Security Advisor sandy Berger. Host Bob Schieffer called the alert at all American ports of entry in the wake of the Seattle nitro smuggling incident "serious." Berger said that the pre-Ramadan season is already a high-alert period and that heightened vigilance is already in place. He also made clear that no conclusions about who the smuggler was connected with had been made, that the incident is "under investigation." He did, however, talk about actions taken against Osama bin Laden: "A number of his cells around the world have been taken down."
Borger: "Should bin Laden be worried about his own security?" Berger, in so many words, said he should be concerned. Are efforts under way to arrest any accomplices in the nitro smuggling case? Berger refused to answer. Borger asked if Americans should be "a little bit more nervous" about terrorism on American soil, and Berger once again mentioned the heightened security around Ramadan -- and encouraged Americans to contact law enforcement about suspicious packages.
Schieffer asked if there would be extra precautions in place for large New Years' Eve gatherings, and Berger did not answer specifically, again advising people to "be vigilant."
Talk turned to Chechnya. Berger expressed concern over civilian casualties, Russia again getting bogged down in a conflict, and friction between Russia and the international community. America will continue to press Russia for a less destructive resolution to the Chechnya situation and work with Russia to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons.
When queried about Iraq, Berger essentially reiterated the status quo on US policy -- disarmament is the way out of sanctions. And Berger praised Syria and Israel for coming together to resolve their longstanding differences, but set a note of caution as he emphasized the fact that there will have to be some give on both sides.
Following the break (spots for Xerox, Schwab) -- Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Tom Hartman, "The God Squad." Schieffer asked about "professions of faith" from practically all the candidates, and then played Bush's "Christ moment" from the most recent GOP debate. Gellman said, "I'm OK with that... why are we suspicious when they profess their faith of God and not when they sat they love America?" Does all this sudden talk of God cheapen faith, asked Borger; Hartman said that were he running for office, he's want voters to know where his value system comes from. Gellman talked about material success being less important to many these days than spiritual issues (huh? he must not notice the public's obsession with markets and money).
We found the rest of the segment uncharacteristically dull for FTN -- although Schieffer recounted a famous quote from Kennedy in which he decried priests telling him what to do -- and protestant ministers telling their congregations who to vote for. Gellman had some interesting comments on separation of church and state being a positive value within a nation that is already infused with religion. Schieffer asked Hartman of there was a religious resurgence, and Hartman pointed out that more people attend church than do sporting events.
So? More people watch TV than go to church, but that's a factor of technology, not faith!
Schieffer's final word: get a flu shot! He extolled the virtues of -- grilled cheese sandwiches!
Hey Bob, we want politics, not high-cholesterol foods!
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