Politico Playbook - Breaking - Conclave Electing New Pope

From: Mike Allen's Politico Playbook

BREAKING: “Conclave electing new pope could start before March 15 – Vatican,” by Reuters’ Philip Pullella in Vatican City: “The conclave to choose Pope Benedict's successor could start earlier than expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid-March, the Vatican said … [T]he Vatican was still in a state of spiritual and bureaucratic shock, groping for ways to deal with a situation without precedent for at least six centuries. Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave to elect Benedict's successor. Church rules say the conclave has to start between 15-20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, which it will on Feb. 28. … Cardinals around the world have already begun informal consultations by phone and email to construct a profile of the man they think would be best suited to lead the Church in a period of continuing crisis. The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected and then formally installed … before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services …

Case Closed - Matt Hill

Courtesy of Mike Allen, Politico

MATT HILL, the campus outreach worker whose disappearance mobilized hundreds of Christians in a remarkable grid search in D.C. and Arlington, was found unharmed yesterday in Asheville, N.C. The FindMattHill Facebook page announced yesterday: “He … left on his own will. We don't have any answers. We praise God he is alive, but ask you continue to pray.” The Facebook page was then deleted, to keep unhelpful comments from circulating.

--A.D.C. police official told the Charlotte Observer that detectives got a lead that Hill was in Asheville, and that police there made contact with him around 4 a.m.: “He just left on his own -- for personal reasons. I guess he just wanted to get away.” Hill is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where senior pastor Mark Dever yesterday preached that no matter the outcome, the purpose of trials is God’s glory, which should inspire humility and trust.

--Local television, blogs and network morning shows swarmed the story. The church was media-friendly, allowing reporters access to searchers and friends of Hill. Who thought it wasn’t an interesting story? The Washington Post, which prints four sentences of AP on page B3.

Politico: The Mission Behind Osama bin Laden

A good friend of mine, Mike Allen with Politico, has written several articles on the mission behind Osama bin Laden.

Here are a few links to his articles over the last two days. Mike is one of the highest respected reporters in Washington, DC and is a trusted source for news information!


Wild moments during daring SEAL assault
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54080.html

Getting Osama bin Laden: How the mission went down
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54093.html

Osama bin Laden raid yields trove of computer data
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54151.html

From: www.politico.com "Mike Allen is the chief White House correspondent forPolitico. He comes to us from Time magazine where he was their White House correspondent. Prior to that, Allen spent six years at The Washington Post, where he covered President Bush's first term, Capitol Hill, campaign finance, and the Bush, Gore and Bradley campaigns of 2000. Before turning to national politics, he covered schools and local governments in rural counties outside Fredericksburg, Va., for The Free Lance-Star, then wrote about Doug Wilder, Oliver North, Chuck Robb and the Bobbitts for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he nurtured police sources on overnight ride-alongs through housing projects. Allen also covered Mayor Giuliani, the Connecticut statehouse and the wacky rich of Greenwich for The New York Times. Before moving to The Times, he did stints in the Richmond and Alexandria bureaus of The Washington Post. Allen grew up in Orange County, Calif., and has a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, where he majored in politics and journalism."

Gunman Robbed Political Candidate Outside Miami Church

"A gunman robbed 17th Congressional District candidate Marleine Bastien on Saturday, turning the campaign trail into a crime scene.

The 51-year-old community activist was outside a North Miami church where she was going to meet voters before Tuesday's primary. She is one of nine Democrats running for U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek's seat."

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Louisiana Governor Signs Church Gun Law

"Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed a law allowing holders of concealed-weapons permits to carry guns into houses of worship.

The bill, signed Tuesday night, allows permit holders who take an additional eight hours of tactical training each year to bring a gun into “any church, synagogue, mosque or other similar place of worship.”

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