With the election of a reformer as the new president, the International Cycling Union is ready to put the Armstrong scandal behind it and re-establish this great sport

This is great news! From the Telegraph:

Cycling finally began the process of “healing the wounds” of the Lance Armstrong era on Friday as Brian Cookson’s extraordinary gamble paid off when he toppled Pat McQuaid as the most powerful man in the sport. 

Cookson was elected president of the International Cycling Union at the end of a torturous day of both high drama and high farce that exposed the governing body to ridicule and demonstrated how desperately change was needed at the top. 

Amid chaotic scenes at the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, British Cycling president Cookson beat his bitter rival 24 votes to 18 in an election that for so long threatened not to take place. That is because McQuaid – whose reputation has nosedived since Armstrong was exposed as one of sports worst ever dope cheats – arrived at the UCI Congress with serious doubt having been cast on his eligibility to stand for re-election after he failed to secure a nomination from his home federation. 

With the UCI having refused to allow the matter to be independently adjudicated upon, the meeting was reduced to interminable wrangling over whether a vote should be taken to determine the validity of McQuaid’s candidacy – even though the item was not on the agenda. 

The Irishman, who was chairing proceedings, eventually lost complete control of the floor after two UCI-funded lawyers spent an age trying to convince delegates he could stand.
Cookson then staged the most dramatic intervention imaginable, marching to the podium and declaring in presidential fashion: “We’ve had enough of this. I’m going to propose we go straight to the vote between the two candidates.” Whether it had a decisive impact on the outcome is impossible to tell but delegates who had earlier voted 21-21 on a side issue relating to the election suddenly came down on his side.

Full article 

Pope Francis' words yesterday represent a sea change for the Catholic Church. While he didn't change its dogma (yet), he reminded everyone of its purpose: as a champion for love

As a long-time gay activist and a former Catholic, I am still reeling from the importance of the Pope's words in his newly released interview.  His words mark the end of the orthodox John Paul II era as much as the election of Barack Obama ended Reaganism.  

Socially-divisive priests like San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone have been put on notice by this new pope.  No longer can they treat LGBT people as "intrinsically disordered," second-class citizens, who are regularly castigated against from the pulpit. Instead, Pope Francis' words suggest that Cordileone and his ilk have neglected their core spiritual mission of creating a warm and welcoming environment for all Catholics, while spending most of their time lobbying for "small-minded rules" in the political square. The rabidly anti-gay animus of the conservative Catholic hierarchy has cost the church of millions and millions of followers, like my once-very-Catholic family. 

I feel that Francis is calling the RC church to return to the core message of Christ: the power of unconditional love (and providing a welcoming refugee from the suffering of the world).  This is a winning formula that meets timeless human needs. Modern people want a church that opens up their hearts and lifts them up -- not judges or controls them.  

A few months ago, I saw a segment on BBC TV in which they interviewed one of Pope Francis' spiritual mentors. I forget the elderly priest's name but it was clear that he was a big admirer of Pope John XXIII, the convener of Vatican II. So I am not completely surprised that Pope Francis is turning out to be the most reformist pope since John XXIII and just may be able to save the RC church from irrelevancy. 

Clearly, Francis' ascendancy marks the end of John Paul's cold-hearted theo-con era. Like with American politics, change is happening in Catholicism...and not a moment too soon.  -- Joe

We need Elizabeth Warren in the Senate to counter the millions of dollars that banks & financial services companies spend on DEM & GOP politicians