To the Point

Palestinians Prepare for Sunday's Election

Palestinians will go to the polls on Sunday to elect Yasser Arafat's successor as head of the Palestinian Liberation Authority. The likely winner is "moderate" Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, who already holds a more powerful job as appointed head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Meantime, political troubles continue in Israel, as reserve officers threaten to disobey orders to help remove settlers from the Gaza Strip. Can Abbas end the Intifada? Can Israel-s Ariel Sharon get determined settlers out of the Gaza Strip? Will either side have time to talk peace? We speak with Israelis and Palestinians about the challenges facing both sides. Making News: Gonzales Confirmation Hearing Alberto Gonzales faced a Senate committee today as the President's choice to succeed Attorney General John Ashcroft. Democrats have bitterly criticized of the White House Counsel's role in setting policy on terrorist suspects. Though Gonzales testified that he did no approve of torture, he declined to comment on alleged criminal aspects of the handling of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. Elaine Shanon, who covers criminal justice matters for Time magazine, has more. Reporter's Notebook: Democrats Force House Debate on Ohio Voting Problems Congress was scheduled to certify President Bush's re-election today by formally accepting the vote of the Electoral College, but Ohio-s election results were challenged by enough members of both houses to delay the process. Although John Kerry spoke of "very troubling questions" about the Ohio vote, he declined to support the challenge. Jonathan Riskind is covering the story from Washington the Columbus Dispatch.