Word: litmus
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...Court - and abortion - could be ready to work for Gore. The latest slate of decisions, once digested, may have gotten some, women in particular, worried about aging Justices and four to eight years of a conservative president. Bush is playing down the issue, but if he makes abortion a litmus test for his veep, why not his Justices? If Bush does as expected and ditches Tom Ridge (or George Pataki) next week for a pro-life running mate, Gore may find that a potent weapon has fallen right into...
...hiking trails. But its central feature will be a stream of acidic water that will percolate out of the mine and course down a limestone-lined canal into aerating basins and finally to a wetland for a final rinse. Alongside the water's path, Bargmann is planting a "litmus garden"-- rows of cherry trees, blueberry bushes and other plants whose autumnal colors will reflect the water's purifying progress as it cools down from a scalding orange to a soothing blue...
...midnight vote. The former candidate has been asked by more than 100 G.O.P. candidates to campaign in their districts. Candidates' internal polls in such states as Michigan, New Hampshire and California show that he is still the most inspiring politician in America. Though McCain has said there's no litmus test for his support, 527s became just that. For the handful of House candidates who have requested the White Tornado for their Rotary Club but voted the wrong way, there may be a problem with the Senator's travel schedule. "So sorry," says a top McCain adviser...
...scholars don't think a pro-life court would buck public opinion and ban abortion. (Others are sure it would.) It's possible that Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 75, will step down first--then Bush would need another conservative just to stay even. Bush says abortion isn't a litmus test, but if it is, it would be almost impossible for him to win confirmation of two avowedly pro-life Justices (think Robert Bork). He would instead try to select stealth candidates who haven't expressed views on the issue (think David Souter). That can be tricky. Souter has been...
...while it might seem that such an emotional debate in the middle of an election year would be political poison, there seems to be little concern in the Bush camp over the whole death penalty flap, says Carney. After all, capital punishment is more of a litmus test of a candidate's belief system than an indicator of anything he plans to do as president, and Bush knows he won't lose many moderate votes over the death penalty (his opponent, of course, is also a long-time supporter). And sticking to his guns on his state's executions will...