In conjunction with the party conventions this week and next Matt Malone S J is discussing E J Dionne s Souled Out Reclaimign Faith amp Politics After the Religious Right with Kathleen Kennedy Townsend the former lieutenant governor of Maryland and author of Failing America s Faithful

Sen Joe Biden gave a feisty speech last night And it wasn rsquo t difficult to see from whom he inherited that Irish feistiness His mother was in the hall and looked like she was ready to duke it out with John McCain and anyone else who would attack her son The news anchors all announced in on

Hillary Clinton s solid unambivalent endorsement of Barack Obama last night is the story of the day nbsp But Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer s speech should also turn heads nbsp A broad-shouldered ebullient former rancher with so much energy he couldn t quite stand still as he spoke to

Here s Michael Sean Winters America s regular blogger and author of Left at the Altar nbsp on slate com on the Dems and pro-life issues Catholics for whom abortion is the only issue are never going to vote for pro-choice Democrats Many others however are less certain about both abortion

Looking for some books on spiritual topics that won t rip open your backpack or crush your stomach while you re reading in bed Look no further James Martin SJ

You might not know it from this morning rsquo s press clippings but there were two unity speeches last night Sen Hillary Clinton rsquo s valedictory is front page and above the fold on every newspaper in America Buried at the end of the lead stories after noting the forgettable keynote address