The Trail

Saturday, August 23, 2008

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN

Colo. Inmate Charged With Powder Mailing

Prosecutors have filed charges against a jail inmate alleging he sent a threatening letter and white powder to a Colorado campaign office for Sen. John McCain.

Marc Harold Ramsey faces a charge of knowingly mailing a threat and could serve at least five years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say the powder in the letter was not lethal, but they have not determined what it is. The letter arrived at a McCain campaign office in the south Denver suburb of Centennial.

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid announced the charge on Friday.

The 39-year-old Ramsey is in the Arapahoe County jail awaiting trial on a charges of menacing, harassment and assaulting a peace officer.

-- Associated Press

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

Evangelical Backs Out of Giving Opening Prayer

The relationship Democrats are trying to forge with the religious community at their nominating convention next week took a hit when a popular young evangelical backed out of their Monday night program.

Cameron Strang, the 30-something editor of Relevant, a magazine about faith and culture, said on his blog that he has changed his mind about delivering the opening night convention prayer because he does not want to be seen as endorsing Sen. Barack Obama. Strang will still attend the convention, however.

Strang is an antiabortion Republican and the son of well-known evangelical Steven Strang, founder of a Christian magazine publishing company who has endorsed Obama's rival, Sen. John McCain.

The younger Strang explained his change of heart on his blog:

"A few weeks ago, I was asked if I'd be interested in possibly praying at the Democratic National Convention. Taken aback, but intrigued at the opportunity, I accepted. What better way to continue positive dialogue, show support for an emphasis on faith issues and pray in a forum where faith isn't typically thought to be emphasized? To quote someone close to me -- and meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Christian Democrats -- it was a chance to be 'light in the darkness.' And hey, Jesus told us to pray, right? . . .

"Then I found out the invocation was to be on the main stage, opening night of the DNC. Part of the national broadcast. Most people would jump at such an exposure opportunity, but it gave me serious pause."

Obama's campaign has spent the last several months reaching out to the religious community and has lavished considerable attention on young evangelicals, hoping they can provide an inroad into the Republican voting bloc.

-- Krissah Williams Thompson