Light posting this week

This is a reminder that posting will be light this week due to finals. I have two finished so far and three remain (Seems that Pete Rose always raises debate!) until I can return to the Ville. Yes, I call it the Ville.

What's that, Jesse? Rev. Jesse Jackson has called on the Iranian president to retract his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic comments.

The comments by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “are a threat to the fragile fabric of the world community,” Jackson said in a statement.

In comments made last week, Ahmadinejad said: "If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe — like in Germany, Austria or other countries — to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it." He earlier called for Israel’s destruction.

I, again, call on the Bush administration to denounce the remarks.

JTA reports how Jews are responding to Narnia. I must admit that I read the classic C.S. Lewis book while in elementary or middle school and have considered seeing the movie. Now, upon this article, I'm not so sure.

And the Jewish community is...well, no one knows quite what to think.[...]

Rabbi Judah Dardik was hooked on "Lion" when he read it years ago as a day-school student. He borrowed the entire series from his older sister and devoured them.

It was only years later that he was told it was steeped in Christian allegories. He was "surprised and embarrassed I hadn’t realized. I felt duped," Dardik said.

Rereading the series, he saw more and more allegories and could never appreciate the books as mere fiction again. Now he sees them as theology — beautifully written theology.

"Should Jewish children see this movie or read the books? I’m unsure. My personal jury is still out," said Dardik, the spiritual leader of Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland, Calif. "I read them...clearly it didn’t affect my personal theology."

He added, "I haven’t seen the movie, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they fleshed out the Christianity a bit more to be satisfying to the Christian audience. That’s the part that’s most disconcerting to me. I also have concerns about the marketing. Hollywood has a way of being very in-your-face."

Jeff Barak has an article in The Independent dealing with London Mayor Ken Livingstone's comments about Oliver Finegold.

All Ken Livingstone had to do was utter the magic words "I'm sorry" and the London Mayor would not have been facing a disciplinary tribunal this Tuesday for comparing a Jewish journalist to a Nazi concentration camp guard.

The hearing will focus on an incident last February when Mr Livingstone berated an Evening Standard reporter, Oliver Finegold, outside a party at City Hall. As Mr Finegold attempted to ask questions about the party (as pesky journalists do), instead of shrugging him off the Mayor asked him if he was "a German war criminal". When Mr Finegold calmly replied that he was Jewish and found the remark offensive, the Mayor, in jolly, post-party mood, countered by comparing the reporter to a concentration camp guard.

New Hampshire is not happy. I wouldn't be surprised if things get nasty dealing with their first primary in the nation status. New Hampshire being first is tradition. You don't mess around with it.

Ultimately, Secretary of State William Gardner -- not the Democratic Party -- will decide when New Hampshire's primary is held. Gardner said he will follow state law that calls for the election to be seven or more days ahead of any similar contest. He said he won't set the date until late in 2007.

I have to say that I agree with Al From's statement on Senator Joseph Lieberman.

There's currently an orchestrated effort underway to make Sen. Joe Lieberman into some sort of a pariah because of his views on the Iraq War. That's wrong. Republicans may try to impose strict litmus tests, but an inclusive Democratic Party should not.

There's plenty of room for debate on how to succeed in Iraq and in the war on terror. We should be a party that leads that debate, not stifles it.

Joe Lieberman is a man of utmost integrity who speaks and governs by his values and principles, even when they lead him against the popular tide. He is a man who always puts his county above his party or his personal interests. Those are qualities we should cherish, not disdain, in today's far too polarized politics.

We need more, not fewer, people with Joe Lieberman's character in the Democratic Party, and I'm proud to call him my friend.

Matt Morris will be introduced as the new pitcher for the San Francisco Giants at a press conference starting 6 PM ET.

In Boston Red Sox news, the GM duties will be shared by Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer.