To the Point

Pro-Israel Lobby and US Middle East Policy

As he reluctantly tries to forge a settlement in the Middle East, President Bush is being pushed toward Israel by forces that may agree on little else. In addition to the powerful Jewish lobby, some fundamentalist Christians and "Christian Zionists" have been equally supportive of Israel. With President Bush in the White House, that's more important than ever, and the Christian Right has a big voice in Congress, too. But President Bush won election with support from American Arabs, and he needs the Arab countries to make peace in the Middle East. We look at the domestic politics behind American Middle East foreign policy with spokesmen for Christian pro-family groups, major Jewish American organizations and Arab Americans. Newsmaker: Documents Show Enron Involvement in Energy Crisis Since last year's rolling blackouts, California has spent billions of dollars to ensure an adequate energy supply. Now, documents have surfaced that may support Governor Gray Davis' claim that Enron and other energy companies manipulated the market to drive up their profits. Kathryn Kranhold of The Wall Street Journal reports on the memos and charges of fraud, and their potential impact on the upcoming gubernatorial election. Reporter's Notebook: Citizen McCain Long time New Yorker correspondent Elizabeth Drew enjoyed months of unusually free access to the working days of Arizona's Republican Senator John McCain in preparation for her latest book. Citizen McCain traces the evolution of the maverick politician who learned to be mainstream.