Washington, D.C.

GOP groups have nearly 3-to-1 money advantage

The Republican Party’s three national fund-raising committees are heading into the 2004 election year with nearly three times more money in the bank than their Democratic counterparts.

Together, the GOP committees began November with $42.1 million on hand, compared with $15.3 million for the three Democratic committees, new campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show.

Just as the Republican and Democratic breakdowns are closer in the Senate than the House, the two Senate committees are closest in fund raising so far this year.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised about $23 million from January through October, with about $7.3 million on hand.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has collected about $17 million and opened the month with $1.2 million in the bank.

Denver

Blind client loses suit against fertility clinic

A fertility clinic accused of discrimination for refusing to help a blind woman conceive was cleared of wrongdoing Friday by a federal jury.

Kijuana Chambers, 33, had accused Rocky Mountain Women’s Health Care Center of starting fertility treatments in 1998 and then turning her down. Her lawsuit claimed the clinic violated two federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dr. Susan Horvath, who handled the case at the clinic, said clinic staff told her Chambers had trouble getting dressed and getting to bus stops. The staff also was concerned that Chambers had soiled underwear and wondered whether she could keep a baby clean, Horvath said.

Chambers, who now lives in Davenport, Iowa, found another clinic to do the procedure and gave birth to a daughter, Laurina, on Jan. 1, 2001.

Washington, D.C.

Liberal religious leaders found political group

Aiming to become the Christian Coalition of the left, liberal and moderate religious leaders are founding a political group to oppose President Bush’s re-election and try to turn their congregations into election-year activists.

The Clergy Leadership Network will help churches, temples and mosques develop voter registration programs, run its own get-out-the-vote drives and, if it can generate enough money, air issue ads, the Rev. Albert Pennybacker, the group’s president and chief executive and former president of the Interfaith Alliance, said Friday.

The group, which comprises Jews, Muslims and Christians, will counter the conservative voice of Christian groups such as the Christian Coalition, said Pennybacker, who belongs to the Disciples of Christ.

Among other issues, the network contends the Bush administration has unacceptably interfered in the separation of church and state through programs such as its “faith-based initiatives.”

Miami

Doubts surround new free-trade area pact

Trade ministers from 34 nations smiled, shook hands and patted one another on the back after finishing their latest meeting on creating the world’s largest free-trade area.

But many see this week’s congratulatory mood as unwarranted, arguing that the framework the ministers approved Thursday was a major setback to the original goal set here nine years ago of tearing down all trade barriers from Alaska to Argentina.

The ministers created a framework for the Free Trade Area of the Americas that would have a common set of rules for all countries.

Their declaration speaks in generalities, but many think it would allow countries to avoid making concessions on controversial issues such as agriculture subsidies and intellectual property rights.