Barack Obama's Church Changes the Way it Describes its Mission for African Americans

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Turn of Events

Barack Obama's church is scrambling to undo the impression it is a ministry for blacks only with a radical message. The Web site of the Trinity United Church of Christ has been purged of a section which spoke of the church's endorsement of — "black ethics" that — "must be taught and exemplified....wherever blacks are gathered."

Among those black ethics are "commitment to the black community, commitment to the black family, disavowal of the pursuit of middleclassness and allegiance to all black leadership who espouse and embrace the black value system."

The Media Research Center notes that in place of these words now are video clips from church members, including one from a white church official who said she feels at home at Trinity.

Paying a Price

Bill Clinton has paid a price for his politicking in support of his wife's campaign. The latest Wall Street Journal NBC poll reports that 45 percent of Americans now view Clinton negatively, with only 42 percent seeing him positively. That is the worst such rating the former president has seen in five years.

During that period Mr. Clinton built the image of a world statesman, a role that sent his positive ratings toward the 60 percent mark and led one magazine to call him "President of the World."

The Politico newspaper quotes historian Alan Lichtman as saying that getting back into the political fray has damaged what he called Clinton's historical glow.

Livid Librarian

A former librarian at Ohio State University says he wants his old job back, and wants the university to change its sexual harassment policies.

Scott Savage says he got into hot water with colleagues while serving on a committee to recommend books for incoming freshman. He said the books under consideration were too liberal, so he suggested "The Marketing of Evil" by David Kupelian, which is subtitled "How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom."

Two professors filed a sexual harassment claim against him, charging that the book was homophobic. The complaint went nowhere, but the Columbus Dispatch reports that Savage says he continued to be harassed anyway. Ohio State had no comment.

Controversial Collision

Out on the Monterey Peninsula in California the other day, a bus transporting about 40 students to their elementary school went out of control after it hit a bump and the driver was thrown from her seat and hit her head.

Fifteen-year-old Amanda Rouse happened to be on the bus because she had left school feeling sick and needed a ride.

She jumped into the driver's seat and pulled on the emergency brake as the bus hit two parked cars. But she got the bus stopped and none of the kids was hurt.

Amanda's reward was Saturday detention for leaving school without informing the proper authorities.

— FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.