Morning News Roundup

• Dana Milbank has a great look in today's Post at Obama and faith (I posted a similar article again but this one's as good if not better). Jim Wallis hosted the event, and apparently Obama was far more impressive than Hillary. Whether or not Obama runs is probably influenced by whether or not the Clintonites still active in the party can prevent him from doing so.
• National Review has a piece on this fall's Senate races. While I generally agree with his analysis (and Connecticut's race should be a lot of fun to watch), as well as putting New Jersey in the toss-up column (George Will had a great piece on Tom Kean Jr.'s campaign), a few nitpicky points. First of all, I'd put Washington in the toss-up column - an incumbent with only a 4pt lead and an opponent whose never held office before? Those kinds of numbers are a Democrat seat ripe for red conversion. Also, out in Nebraska, although I haven't seen a whole ton of polling data, I have a feeling Pete Ricketts may have the ability to surprise people.
• The House is set to vote today on offshore drilling in domestic waters, opening up the 100-200 mile band everywhere and leaving the waters within 100 miles up to the individual discretion of the states. Some complain that industries such as tourism and fishing will be harmed, but at that distance I don't think they can see the rigs...but that probably never crossed their mind. Also, from my experience in Texas, for small-time fishermen rigs are a great place to look for fish - they might actually benefit. However the concern that I (shockingly) find myself most agreeing with is the one voiced by the Natural Resources Defense Council among others, that this will not end our addiction to oil. What should be done is earmarking a certain percentage of the royalties from the program (to be divided among state and federal coffers) for further R&D into renewable energy. I suspect state governments won't have too much of a problem with this as it will also fill their coffers at a time when many states are hurting. According to sources, the bill will pass the House but might have a tougher time in the Senate.
• In some of the most hopeful news I've heard out of the Middle East lately, Kuwaiti women are not just voting in elections for the first time today, they're also running for office. That makes women voting members of the electorate in 4 of the 6 Gulf states, four of five if one counts the UAE which doesn't have elections. All of this is occuring over the strenuous complaints of conservative Islamists; all I can say is that this is another victory for political liberalism in a region so badly in need of it.
• South Koera is finally threatening to do something if North Korea carries out its threat to test a missile; unfortunately that something is to cut off food aid. That's a move that a) probably won't influence Kim Jong-Il's thinking at all and b) will really only affect the already-famine affected people of North Korea, not the government itself.
• CSM has an interesting piece on the French debate over immigration and assimilation, similar to our own issues but with the difference that their are Muslim with all of the additional challenges that presents.

That's all for now folks, enjoy.