Iran's Mixed Messages About Iraq

And now the most telling two minutes in television, the latest from the wartime grapevine:

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Iran Opposed to U.S. Military Action in Iraq
Iran's political and religious leaders are officially opposed to any U.S. military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power in neighboring Iraq. And public religious observances are regularly characterized by chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” But when the Supreme Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei made a public address today in Teheran, thousands of Iranians broke into chants of “Death to Saddam.” This despite the fact that Khameini's speech vowed that Iran would never have Western-style democracy, which Reuters reports he said was based on "lies and propaganda."

Denying a Man His Right To Vote?
Out in Colorado, the state is being sued by a man who says the state's voter registration laws are denying him his constitutional right to vote. The man, James Annibella, moved from Denver to the nearby town of Arvada a year ago. But he never got around to registering to vote under his new address. The deadline for doing so passed earlier this month. Annibella told a news conference outside a Denver courthouse yesterday that, "I am denied my right to vote because of some snafu in the law. I couldn't believe it. It's very frustrating." His suit is being supported by the backers of a state constitutional amendment to allow Election Day registration and voting.

U.N. Association Says Hussein Not Biggest Problem...
In Nebraska, meanwhile, the leader of a local chapter of the United Nations Association, says the main stumbling block to a resolution of problems such as Iraq is not Saddam Hussein, but Katy Hansen, the director of the organization's Iowa chapter, told the annual banquet of the Lincoln Nebraska Chapter, that U.S. military action against Iraq would meet her definition of terrorism. The Lincoln Journal Star quotes her as saying, "It's scary that one administration can threaten the international system that we've worked so hard to set up."

Democrats Disinclined to Debate?
In a striking reversal of the usual pattern, it is Democratic candidates in close Senate races who seem hesitant to debate this fall. NBC's Meet the Press offered to host debates in 11 competitive races. All but two of the Republican candidates agreed. But nine Democrats said no, prompting host Tim Russert to say, "They'd prefer, apparently, to hide behind 30-second ads."