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The Marshall.News Messenger, Thursday, September 1, 2005 Hundreds of pilgrims die in stampede Roberts and O'Connor; Same style, different views single biggest loss of life known in Iraq since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The crowd was' oh edge because of the 110-degree heat, a mortar barrage near the Shiite shrine where they were headed and the ever-present fear of suicide bombers, etched into memories after repeated attacks against large religious gatherings. Seven people died in the mortar barrage three hours before the stampede, the U.S. military said. BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Panicked by rumors of a suicide bomber, thousands of Shiite pilgrims broke into a stampede on a bridge during a religious procession Wednesday, crushing one another or plunging 30 feet into the muddy Tigris river About 800 died, mostly women andchildren, officials said." Hundreds of lqst sandals littered the two-lane bradge while children floundered in the watersbelow-trying to reach dry land.

The tragedy was the him at odds with O'Connor and in line with Rehnquist and illustrate the high stakes of the first vacancy at the Supreme Court in 11 years. Of the nine justices during O'Connor's tenure, seven were appointed by Republican presidents. But two of them, John Paul Stevens and David H. Souter, often vote with Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton. O'Connor, a moderate, was the pivotal vote, shifting between the liberal wing and the conservative fdursome headed by Rehnquist.

As the first woman justice, O'Connor voted to uphold Roe and has been influential in women's issues. Earlier this year, she wrote a 5-4 decision that expanded the scope of the Title IX gender equity law; Rehnquist, who hired Roberts as a law clerk in 1980, disagreed with the ruling. Rehnquist and O'Connor also were sometimes at odds on religion. O'Connor's vote has helped the court bar government officials from erecting Ten Commandments -dis-. plays for' religious' purposes.

The two justices also differed on whether to prohibit clergy-led invocations at public school graduation ceremonies and student-led prayer at football games. Roberts said in 1985 that it "seems indefensible" that the Constitution prohibits a moment of silent reflection or even silent prayer in schools. With Roberts on the court, "we will see a lessening of whatever separation (of church and state) is left," predicted Marci Hamilton, a former O'Connor clerk who teaches at Cardoza School of Law. O'Connor's departure leaves the court evenly split in another area: affirmative action. She supported it in some instances.

In his Reagan-era writings, Roberts seemed unsympathetic to what he called "quotas." New Look New Attitude II Ladies EkcIu? I I pCi ive Apparel the court is divided 4-4 on abortion restrictions, campaign finance limits, discrimination laws, and religion. Roberts will be questioned next week at his Senate confirmation, hearing about those matters and others. Until then, his previous work provides the main insight into where he will stand on issues before the court. For example, documents, show Roberts' support for prayer in public schools and national identification cards and how he fretted over extended death penalty appeals He advocated broad power for the White House and disparaged state efforts to combat discrimination against women. Roberts referred in one memo to the "abortion tragedy" and helped write a legal brief that argued for overturning Roe v.

Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion case. And as a judge, he embraced police authority in car searches. Many of those stands put sales taxes billion a year in lost revenues, collectively. "Taxes that it was difficult to collect before will now be collected. And consumers will pay that," said David Quam at the National Governors Association, helping lead the five-year effort that brought together state revenue officials, legislators and business leaders.

The question of taxing Internet sales has been in limbo since the dawn of the computer A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling forbids states from forcing a' business to collect sales taxes unless the company has a physical presence in the affected state. WASHINGTON (AP) Supreme1 Court nominee John Roberts, like Day O'Connor, is polished and popular, with a warm plainspoken style and surprisingipluck. When it comes to substance, however, the two have differences that will nudge the divided court to the right if, as expected, Roberts is confirmed to succeed the retiring O'Connor. The differences have been ilium inated in thousands of pages of documents from time as a Reagan administration lawyer, a Bush administration attorney and a federal appeals court judge.

They reveal a man likely to fall in line with his conservative Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, -more often than O'Connor did during her 24 years on the court. Although Rehnquist and O'Connor agreed on about three-fourths of the court's cases, they parted company on some of the hottest issues. With O'Connor's departure, States Associated Press Going online to buy the latest bestseller or those photos from summer vacation might be tax free for most people today, but it won't last forever. Come fall, 13 states will start encouraging though not demanding that online businesses collect sales taxes just as Main Street stores are required to do, and more states are considering joining the effort.

Right now, buyers are expected to pay sales taxes on Internet- purchases themselves directly to the state when they pay their income taxes. But it's not widely enforced, and states say it costs them upwards of $15 push for VIOXX VERDICT 'What's online 9 You never knew spelling could be this fun! Corporate Spelling Bee Lunch Friday, September 9 First United Methodist Church Gym A proceeds Jbenefff MorsioHarrison County Literacy Council otit at tV 1 Rotary Club member. JURY FINDS MERCK LIABLE DID THEY HURT YOU TOO? HEART ATTACK STROKE DEATH 1-800-882-1402 CALL TODAY LAW OFFICES OTSTOTT JAMISON, P.C. Lunch Tickets are $10. Call Joyce Hammers 03-935-0962 or Some cases are likely to be referred Paid tor by The get from any 1 111 E.

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