Daily News Digest

the latest news on Faith & Politics-Romney, Energy bill, Farm bill, WIC, Iraq, Poll, CIA tapes destroyed, Iran, Climate change, Darfur, Editorials, and selected Op-Eds.

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Faith & Politics-Romney. Romney vows balance on religion "In the most closely scrutinized moment of his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney declared yesterday that religion is central to his life and to America, but that he will not be a spokesman for Mormonism or serve the leaders of his church if he is elected president." In Speech on Faith, Romney Vows to Serve 'No One Cause' "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, seeking to allay suspicions about his Mormon faith, pledged to serve the common good rather than a single religion if elected president." Romney: No church above duty of office "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, confronting what could be the most difficult hurdle in his campaign for president, stood here to declare both the depth of his faith as a Mormon and his independence from any dictates of the church." Evangelicals may never take Romney on faith "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's speech on faith was powerful and convincing, analysts said -- sincere, effective, hit all the right notes. But will it help Romney, a Mormon, win over the key voting bloc of conservative Christians? The broad consensus: probably not." Romney, Eye on Evangelicals, Defends His Faith "Mitt Romney asked the nation not to reject his presidential candidacy because of his religion, assuring evangelical Christians and other religious voters that his values matched theirs in a speech that used the word "Mormon" only once." Appeal to 'moral heritage' becomes an act of leadership"Mitt Romney's highly anticipated religion speech yesterday was a political tour de force, rejecting the notion that he'd be bound as president by the leaders of his Mormon Church but also placing his faith among the many religions that constitute the "moral heritage" of the United States."

Energy bill. Broad Energy Bill Passed by House "The House brushed aside a new White House veto threat and handily approved a comprehensive energy bill that would raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and require increased use of renewable energy sources to generate electricity." House passes a sweeping energy bill "The House approved the biggest increase in vehicle fuel-economy standards since gasoline cost less than a dollar a gallon, in a sweeping energy bill that is headed for a showdown in the Senate and a possible veto from President Bush." House Sets Higher Goal for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency "Brushing aside a veto threat from the White House, the House passed a package of energy measures that includes a 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the United States."

Farm bill. Senators Reach Tentative Farm Deal "Senators cleared a major hurdle in negotiations on a multibillion-dollar farm bill, agreeing to pare down a list of hundreds of proposed amendments.