Speaking of news coverage...

A few random bits from Harper's Index, )with oriignal references):

Estimated number of U.S. intelligence reports on Iraq that were based on a single defector : 100[Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the U.S. Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (Washington)]

Number of times the defector had ever been interviewed by U.S. intelligence agents : 0[Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the U.S. Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (Washington)]
....
Percentage of the world's Anglican bishops that have condemned the U.S. Episcopal Church's ordination of a gay bishop : 34[Anglican Communion Network (Pittsburgh)]

Number of U.S. Episcopal churches that are now affiliated with dioceses in Rwanda or Uganda : 38

These surprise me. As someone with his ear held not too closely to the Episcopal ground, I'd understood there was a larger groundswell of outrage at the ordination of a gay Bishop. I wonder how much of that is weighted toward the U.S., how much toward Africa. It is a significant number, but it makes me wonder again about the actions at Lambeth. Of course, that was in 2004. I entirely missed this, from 2003.

The appointment of a gay man has angered conservatives within the Worldwide Anglican Communion, which is locked in an increasingly hostile battle over the issue of homosexuality.

On Thursday, the Archbishop of Nigeria threatened that his church would break ties with the Diocese of Oxford if the appointment was not rescinded.

Many who read the Bible literally, point to a verse in the Old Testament condemning men having sex with each other as an "abomination"

So is the Anglican Communion about to break up?

Funny, I didn't even hear that question being asked until 2004.

The connection here is U.S. news coverage. An Anglican gay bishop is ordained in England in 2003, and I didn't even know about it. An Episcopal gay bishop is ordained in America in 2004, and the Church is coming to an end. In fact, I learn about it while writing this post, checking Google because I can't remember where the conference occurred at which certain bishops were asked not to take communion. I type in "Gay Bishop Anglican," or some such, and this is the first story that comes up.

Hmmmmm.....

You see, it really is all about the U.S. (or "US"). If it doesn't happen here, it doesn't happen. 38 U.S. churches have not associated themselves with African diocese over the 2003 ordination. It's doubtful they were even aware of it. And, of course, the African diocese didn't seize the opportunity that the U.S. ordination and publicity accorded them. Yet I am told the Episcopal church is not, by any means, the largest part of the Anglican Communion.

Curiouser and curiouser....

As for what does happen here, the question of what our government is doing is still pressing upon us. Evidence continues to mount that, unlike Nixon, who was concerned with governance, just paranoid about his ability to do it, this Administration, as Molly Ivins has pointed out, seems only to be interested in ruling. They don't want responsibility, they only want power.

And so far, thanks in no small part to journalists like Judith Miller (when is Jeff Gerth going to retract his Whitewater stories?) they seem to have it.