We often talk about having a global vision and a heart to pray for global issues, but sometimes we don’t necessarily see it because we are so wrapped in everyday issues.  God has given each of us varying levels of grace to walk, pray and intercede in various arenas.  Some may be more focused on the local level, some on the national level, and some on the global level.  The local level affects the nation, which in turn affects the global arena.  So regardless of where you feel God has focused your intercession, all are linked together.  

Below are a few excerpts from various magazines and periodicals reflecting some of the global current events.  We are bringing these to your attention so that you can seek God concerning each issue.  We need to be praying about each of these and their impact on the region that is affected and we also need to seek the Lord to determine if the spiritual forces behind any of these has permeated beyond the regions – which we all know have.  We are in a spiritual war and we need to stir up that warrior spirit that is within each of us.  When Paul wrote to Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7), he was writing in the context of stirring up the gift of God that is within.  The gift is within!  Let God arise!

Several nations are having elections this year (some are included in the news excerpts below) – nation leaders have global impact.  We need to be interceding over the elections in our countries, that God will put the right people in office.  We also need to vote.  After the few news items, please find a summary of election activity in the US. 

Blessings to all and thanks for your continued intercession,

Dana on behalf of Martha Lucia and the Watchman Network (http://www.watchmannetwork.org)

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In the News:

 

·        Ukrainian voters will face a clear-cut decision in late October when they vote for a new president: either elect opposition leader and front-runner Viktor Yushchenko and get a Western-leaning Ukraine, or elect Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and get a Ukraine that will slip back into Russia’s sphere of influence.  That choice was put into stark relief last week when outgoing president Leonid Kuchma, a former Soviet arms-factory director, announced that he was dumping all references to the country’s aspirations for NATO and EU membership from the country’s military doctrine.  Russia’s President Vladmimir Putin is trying to sell the former Soviet states on the idea of a new “Single Economic Area.”  He darkly warned that foreign agents were working hard to “damage our integration process.” (Newsweek, April 9, 2004) Is there another force that is forming together outside the EU efforts?

·        Warlords, Drugs and Votes – “Political junkies are betting these days as to how certain events would affect the election, like a terror attack or a major crisis in Iraq.  To these I would add one that is almost certain to take place the October election in Afghanistan.  Afghanistan now supplies 75 percent of the world’s opium.  Drugs are now the dominant feature of Afghanistan’s economy, half as big as the legal economy.  Worse, the trade is now moving from opium to heroin, which means that it’s connected with international cartels, crime and big money.  The amounts of cash involved dwarf government revenues, and corruption has infected every aspect of Afghan political life.  Disbanding the warlord’s forces is the key challenge facing Afghanistan.  The political scientist Max Weber once defined a state as the entity that has a monopoly of the legitimate use of force in the country.  In Afghanistan, the state has no such monopoly.  Winding down militias is the only path to that goal.  Afghans have approached the national elections with huge enthusiasm, exceeding all predictions of voter registration.  Polls show that they are highly supportive of Karzai, the United States and the international efforts at reconstruction.  U.S. policy toward Afghanistan is now on the right track.  America and its allies are extending security outside Kabul, helping to buildup the Afghan Army and police, weakening the warlords, strengthening the central government, funding reconstruction projects and offering farmers alternatives to opium.  But it might be too late.  Instability is rampant, the drug trade is flourishing and the warlords are entrenched.” (Newsweek, April 9, 2004) Nothing is impossible for God – His hand can intervene if we will pray.

·        Does terror take a holiday? – This is an interesting article that highlights that “the Europe Union is woefully unprepared to stop a catastrophic attack and the danger’s growing every day.”  It also highlights that a testimony by Robert Leiken of the Nixon Center who said before Congress: “the most immediate terrorist threat to the United States stems not from the Middle East but from Western Europe.” (Newsweek, April 9, 2004) Terrorist attacks stir up fear.  The word says there will be wars and rumors of wars (terrorism in a sense is a war).  We are in a time of spiritual war – God has put the gift of a warrior within each of us.

·        Return of the Jews – “For decades the story of Russia’s Jews has been one of fear and flight to Israel.  It’s not easy being Jewish in Russia... But sometimes it’s even harder to be Jewish in Israel.  That’s why an estimated 50,000 Jews have returned to Russia in the past five years.  They come mostly to booming Moscow – but also to godforsaken places like Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region, a swampy Siberian area larger than Israel that is plagued by mosquitoes in summer and minus 35 degree temperatures in the winter....Part of the reason [for the Jewish return to Russia], he [Viktor Dubinin] says, is that under President Vladimir Putin, life for the Jews of Russia has changed.  “It’s a lot better,” he says. “There’s work.  Russia is rising again.”  In Israel, the economy is a mess.  When the Soviet Union collapsed and Jews were free to leave, demographers predicted that the region would quickly lose its Jewish identity.  Instead, a steady 5 percent of the population - about 8,500 people – remain Jewish.  That’s because the local officials are strongly supportive.”  (Newsweek, April 9, 2004)  This was surprising as many Jews had migrated to Israel and had asked for entry into the US when the Soviet Union fell apart.  How is the church supposed to support Israel so she can become what God has purposed her for?

·        Neo-Nazis are heard again in France - “Neo-Nazi acts have swept France this year.  Neo-Nazism, strictly repressed in Germany, has found breathing space in France, where the fringe movement, though fainter and abhorred by the vast majority of French, is nonetheless tolerated.  Adrian Zeller, the president of Alsace’s regional government, said one or two neo-Nazi rallies were held in the area each year.  Alsace is the most heavily Protestant region of France, having embraced the teachings of Martin Luther in the 16^th century.  Because of past changes in its national identity, the region lacks the secularism characteristic of the rest of France.  [Some say this is the reason that Neo-Nazism is growing in this region.] There was never a de-Nazification in Alsace, because the region was treated as a victim.  Zeller, the president of Alsace’s government said, “The day I see a mass movement or the beginning of a mass movement, I’ll worry, but it’s not there.”” (Herald International Tribune) The acts of this Neo-Nazi group represent an outward manifestation of the spiritual forces that fueled Hitler.  Scripture says do not despise the days of small beginnings, granted it is not talking about evil things – but we can apply the principle.  We need to be watching for the “small things” that are forming in the spiritual realm and war against these.

US Election Information: 

The year 2004 is a presidential election year, but also involves the election of a third of the 100-seat U.S. Senate (two from every state). Senators serve six-year terms. In the 2004 election, 34 Senate seats are up for election.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election. Members of the House of Representatives are called congressmen or congresswomen. They serve two-year terms. The Senate and House of Representatives make up what is called Congress.

 After presidential candidates are selected at the national conventions, there are three presidential debates. In 2004, these will be on September 30, October 8 and October 13.

Standings in the 100-seat Senate: Republicans have 51 seats, Democrats 48, with one independent.

In the 435-seat House of Representatives: Republicans have 229 seats, Democrats 205, with one independent.

Voting day is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

 The president is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2005.

 Voting age population (VAP) in 2000:
205,815,000

Eligible voters (VEP) in 2000:
193,199,543

Voter turnout (% of VEP):
54.5%

 

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Below is from http://www.wordiq.com/definition/U.S._Senate_election,_2004#Vulnerable_Republican_seats

Vulnerable Republican seats

The only Republican seats clearly vulnerable are those where Senators are retiring: Colorado (Ben Nighthorse Campbell) and Illinois (Peter Fitzgerald). The Alaska seat currently held by Lisa Murkowski is also considered to be competitive, since the Republican edge in the state is offset by the unpopularity of Governor Frank Murkowski's appointing his daughter to the seat, and the popularity of the Democrat challenger, ex-governor Tony Knowles.

·   Alaska: Tony Knowles is in a statistical dead heat with incumbent Lisa Murkowski. Although Alaska is a heavily Republican state, popular opinion has swung against the Murkowski family because of a tax increase passed by Lisa's father. Knowles has enlisted extensive out-of-state support for his bid to oust Murkowski.

·   Colorado: Democratic attorney general Ken Salazar, who holds a dramatic lead in the primary, may benefit from an extended (and, by many predictions, extraordinarily negative) Republican primary campaign between brewing executive Peter Coors and Rep. Bob Schaffer.

·   Illinois: Democratic candidate Barack Obama, a widely popular Kenyan-American state legislator, is currently running without serious opposition following the withdrawal of Republican candidate Jack Ryan. Although numerous substitutes for Ryan have been proposed, including former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, none have been willing to run against Obama.

Other viable candidates that could take Republican seats include Brad Carson in Oklahoma, Joe Hoeffel in Pennsylvania, and possibly Nancy Farmer in Missouri, although all are running in swing states that tend to lean slightly Republican and that are likely to support Bush in the presidential election.

Vulnerable Democratic seats

The Democrats' prospects are weakened by the fact that five incumbent Senators in Southern states will be retiring. These seats, in Florida (Bob Graham), Georgia (Zell Miller), South Carolina (Ernest Hollings), Louisiana (John Breaux) and North Carolina (John Edwards), are all considered vulnerable to Republican challengers. The only Southern Democrat seeking re-election to the Senate is Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.

·   Florida: A large slate of candidates from both parties are running for Bob Graham's seat. The Democratic front-runner is former University of South Florida president Betty Castor, but she lacks popularity in the urban south where Rep. Peter Deutsch and Miami Mayor Alex Penelas share the lead. The leaders in the Republican race are Mel Martinez, a former Bush cabinet member who enjoys heavy support from Washington, former Rep. Bill McCollum, and businessman Doug Gallagher. Primaries are scheduled for August 31st.

·   Georgia: Zell Miller's seat was being contested as fiercely as Graham's into the primary elections on July 20. Rep. Johnny Isakson is the Republican candidate: the two Democratic candidates, Rep. Denise Majette and Cliff Oxford, will face each other in a runoff for the Democratic nomination.

·   Louisiana: John Breaux's seat is widely viewed as a tossup, although Louisiana's open primary system makes it difficult to gauge who has the lead in the race. Only one Republican, Rep. David Vitter, is in the running. He is challenged by three major Democratic candidates, foremost among them Rep. Chris John.

·   North Carolina: John Edwards' seat is, by current polling, likely to remain in the Democratic hands of Erskine Bowles, due to popular anger at the free trade policies of the Republican Party. However, Republican Richard Burr may still prevail in November.

·   South Carolina: Ernest Hollings' seat is also a tossup. Democratic nominee Inez Tenenbaum is slightly ahead of Republican Rep. Jim DeMint in the polls.

·   South Dakota: Tom Daschle, the current Democratic floor leader, is being challenged by John Thune, who has extensive support from Republicans in Washington eager to oust Daschle. Daschle's lead has fluctuated heavily due to these outside influences, making his race for re-election more difficult than most incumbents'.

Third parties

The Libertarian Party will be contesting most of the seats. The Constitution and Green parties will also contest many of the seats. While none of these parties are yet strong enough to have a significant chance of winning in 2004, they often have enough support to swing elections. The Constitution party draws conservatives from the Republicans, the Greens draw liberals from the Democrats, while the Libertarians draw voters in favor of both social and economic freedom from both major parties. Libertarians can swing a close election either way depending on the particular politics of the other candidates and the issues at play in the particular election. It is possible that the Natural Law and Reform parties may contest several seats, though these two parties have both been waning in recent years. The last time a third party held a US Senate seat was 2002 (Minnesota), when Dean Barkley of the Independence Party was appointed by Jesse Ventura to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Paul Wellstone.

Minor parties

Minor parties in a number of states will contest one or more Senate seats. Examples include the American First Party, the Labor Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, and the Socialist Workers Party. These parties are unlikely to overcome ballot access hurdles, so will have almost no chance of gaining any seats.

Senate contests in 2004

State	Incumbent	Party	Status	Candidates
Alabama	Richard Shelby	Republican	Running for 4th term	Wayne Sowell (Democrat)
Alaska	Lisa Murkowski	Republican	Running for 1st full term	Tony Knowles (Democrat) Mike Miller (Republican)
Arizona	John McCain	Republican	Running for 4th term	Stuart Starky (Democrat)
Arkansas	Blanche Lincoln	Democrat	Running for 2nd term	Jim Holt (Republican)
California	Barbara Boxer	Democrat	Running for 3rd term	James Gray (Libertarian) Bill Jones (Republican)
Colorado	Ben Nighthorse Campbell	Republican	Retiring	Mike Miles (Democrat) Ken Salazar (Democrat) Pete Coors (Republican) Bob Schaffer (Republican)
Connecticut	Christopher Dodd	Democrat	Running for 5th term	Jack Orlucchi (Republican)
Florida	Bob Graham	Democrat	Retiring	Betty Castor (Democrat) Peter Deutsch (Democrat) Bernard Klein (Democrat) Alex Penelas (Democrat) Johnnie Byrd (Republican) Doug Gallagher (Republican) Larry Klayman (Republican) Mel Martinez (Republican) Bill McCollum (Republican) Karen Saull (Republican) Robert C. Smith (Republican) Dan Webster (Republican)
Georgia	Zell Miller	Democrat	Retiring	Denise Majette (Democrat) Cliff Oxford (Democrat) Johnny Isakson (Republican)
Hawaii	Daniel Inouye	Democrat	Running for 8th term	No serious opposition
Idaho	Mike Crapo	Republican	Running for 2nd term	No serious opposition
Illinois	Peter Fitzgerald	Republican	Retiring	Barack Obama (Democrat) Jerry Kohn (Libertarian)
Indiana	Evan Bayh	Democrat	Running for 2nd term	No serious opposition
Iowa	Charles Grassley	Republican	Running for 5th term	Arthur Small (Democrat)
Kansas	Sam Brownback	Republican	Running for 2nd term	No serious opposition
Kentucky	Jim Bunning	Republican	Running for 2nd term	Dan Mongiardo (Democrat)
Louisiana	John Breaux	Democrat	Retiring	Chris John (Democrat) John Kennedy (Democrat) David Vitter (Republican)
Maryland	Barbara Mikulski	Democrat	Running for 4th term	E. J. Pipkin (Republican)
Missouri	Christopher S. Bond	Republican	Running for 4th term	Nancy Farmer (Democrat)
Nevada	Harry Reid	Democrat	Running for 4th term	Kenneth Wegner (Republican) Jack Woodcock (Republican) Richard Ziser (Republican)
New Hampshire	Judd Gregg	Republican	Running for 3rd term	Burt Cohen (Democrat)
New York	Charles Schumer	Democrat	Running for 2nd term	No serious opposition
North Carolina	John Edwards	Democrat	Retiring	Erskine Bowles (Democrat) Tom Bailey (Libertarian) Richard Burr (Republican)
North Dakota	Byron Dorgan	Democratic-NPL	Running for 3rd term	Mike Liffrig (Republican)
Ohio	George Voinovich	Republican	Running for 2nd term	Eric Fingerhut (Democrat)
Oklahoma	Don Nickles	Republican	Retiring	Brad Carson (Democrat) Tom Coburn (Republican) Kirk Humphreys (Republican)
Oregon	Ron Wyden	Democrat	Running for 2nd term	Al King (Republican) Dan Fitzgerald (Libertarian)
Pennsylvania	Arlen Specter	Republican	Running for 5th term	Joe Hoeffel (Democrat)
South Carolina	Ernest Hollings	Democrat	Retiring	Inez Tenenbaum (Democrat) Jim DeMint (Republican) Efia Nwangaza (Green) Reb Sutherland (Libertarian)
South Dakota	Tom Daschle	Democrat	Running for 4th term	John Thune (Republican)
Utah	Robert Bennett	Republican	Running for 3rd term	Paul Van Dam (Democrat)
Vermont	Patrick Leahy	Democrat	Running for 6th term	No serious opposition
Washington	Patty Murray	Democrat	Running for 3rd term	Reed Davis (Republican) George Nethercutt (Republican)
Wisconsin	Russ Feingold	Democrat	Running for 3rd term	Russ Darrow (Republican) Tim Michels (Republican) Bob Welch (Republican)