California

Kerry urges tougher teacher testing

John Kerry said Thursday that if elected president he would make teachers meet higher standards, his latest effort to appeal to the political center.

With the presidential election hanging on a small group of independent voters, Kerry also has taken the right-of-center position of promoting corporate tax relief. This week, he started airing biographical television ads that showcase his friendship with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and today he will address the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.

During a speech at California’s Colton High School, Kerry called for greater accountability from teachers — one of President Bush’s signature issues. Teachers should have to pass tougher tests and their pay should be based on performance, the Democrat said.

Kerry pledged to spend $30 billion over 10 years on his effort to improve teacher quality, including awards up to $5,000 to teachers who increase student achievement or make other improvements.

Washington, D.C.

Religious networks broadcast Bush event

President Bush appealed to evangelical Christians in a National Day of Prayer ceremony Thursday that religious networks were broadcasting coast-to-coast.

“At so many crucial points in the life of America, we have been a nation at prayer,” Bush said, recalling that Abraham Lincoln had called the country to prayer in the darkest days of the Civil War and that Franklin Roosevelt led U.S. citizens in prayer 60 years ago when U.S. and British troops invaded German-occupied France.

Some academic specialists on religion and politics — and some advocates of a stark division between church and state — suggested the Republicans were using the 53rd annual National Day of Prayer to give the GOP an edge in the November election.

“This event has very strong underpinnings of partisan support for the president, and that’s what it’s designed to do,” said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.