As promised, my report on NYC former Mayor Ed Koch's talk in Des Moines Thur. pm.:
The former mayor is a very personable, funny man with a ready quip, but also a deep understanding of the terrorism situation.  He initially came on board because he supports the "Bush Doctrine," which is "We will go after the terrorists, and the countries that harbor them."   He is campaigning for Bush because as he put it, "The Democratic Party doesn't have the stomach to do the job, nor does its candidate."  I had wondered how a social liberal like Koch could do this but he explained that social policy is set by Congress so he is recommending a split ticket:  Bush for President(for foreign affairs) and liberal Senators(so they can filibuster on social policy and appointments).
He spoke of his talks in Florida and how discouraged he was after the first talk until he hit upon the plan of the split ticket explanation to convince all the FDR retirees that they were not being disloyal to the late revered FDR by voting for a (gasp) Republican.
All in all, a very enlightening and entertaining evening.  If you get the opportunity to see Mayor Koch, grab it.  Our Jewish brothers understand the notion of persecution better than we might realize, and more of them know they have an ally in the Christian church.
Shalom
Betty