"Why the White House is not on the war path over Iran"

Five words that signify bias:

1. saber-rattling
2. literally (bulldozed into the ground)
3. bellicose
4. "spiral out of control"
5. plunge

In the article "Why the White House is not on the war path over Iran" by Mark Mardell generally recounts Mardell's attempt to learn more about the US government's attitude towards Iran now that it has been revealed that they have a nuclear energy program.  He describe's Israel's threat to attack Iran over this program as "saber-rattling" which suggests that the threat is just a threat and nothing more.  Mardell conveys the sense that this new nuclear program in Iran is for energy, stating that the buildings and research centers used for Iran's old nuclear weapons program have been "literally bulldozed into the ground" - the word "literally" is used to actually describe what happened and also emphasize how over the nuclear weapons program in Iran seems to be.  Mardell says that the White House couldn't hardly be less bellicose - or war-like - concerning Iran as he's been told that any military response would only provide a situation that could "spiral out of control" and help "plunge" western economies into another recession.  The choice of colorful words with their specific negative connotations, in context with the question of how likely a military response from the US is, further illustrate the writer's conclusion that Iran's nuclear program is not a threat and that any larger situation arising from this as being unlikely.

State Senate G.O.P. Near Decision on Gay-Marriage Vote by Danny Hakim (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/state-senate-g-o-p-near-decision-on-gay-marriage-vote/?ref=deangskelos)(

This article generally talked about the movements of the NY State Senate Republicans during the moments leading up to the Senate's vote on the gay marriage bill.  By the time the article was written, the Assembly already passed it and now the bill was on the docket for the Senate.  The article identified Senator Dean Skelos, Republican Senate Majority Leader (from the 4th district, my district).  The Republican caucus was about to meet to determine if they would allow the bill onto the floor for a vote.  Skelos made comments saying that "legislative matters were 'on track,'" making it seem that the bill would be allowed time on the floor for a vote in the imminent future. Although Skelos is not directly quoted saying that the Republicans will allow the vote, the tone and syntax of the writer (see the title) leads a reader to believe that a vote is indeed imminent.

GNP leader calls for more flexibility in NK policy by Chung Min-uck (The Korea Times)

South Korean officials are trying to mend ties with North Korea after a year of virtually no exchange or cooperation between the two following president Lee Myung-bak's execution of the "May 24 Measures" in reaction to the sinking of the warship Cheonan and the bombing of Yeonpyeong Island. Chairman of the Grand National Party (in the U.S.=Republican Party) representative Hong Joon-pyo recently visited the Gaeseong Industrial Complex just across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to survey the 120 South Korean companies with factories setup there to promote economic cooperation (cheap labor for the South and jobs for the North), but who have been hit hard by downturns in the economy, and especially, the frozen relations between the two countries. I can see the benefits for both sides (47,000 North Korean out of work and 120 companies with no employees), so renewed relations are in the best interest of both countries, economically. The bigger issue of unification and dealing with North Korea in other political matters are much more complex. The writer's tone does not give me knowledge of his intent, but his lack of negative response leads me to believe he is in agreeance with inter-Korean dialogue and possibly unification.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/10/116_95826.html