The cynical action of Microsoft to hire Ralph Reed as a consultant is despicable. Reed is a predator and he uses religion in a way God himself resents. Reed is no Christian. He uses Christianity as a front for "Old South" thugs who want to defeat modernism and return to feudalism.
The facts speak for themselves! Reeds rhetoric and his historical attachment to Rev. Pat Robertson is ample evidence of this man's unsuitability to be connected with Microsoft.
If Bill Gates is hedging his bets by giving money to a man who would destroy Microsoft if given a chance, then Gates should reconsider. Evil is evil in any disguise. Ralph Reed is Evil and should not be bought, used, or kept in a cooler through cash or anything else. Real Politik is not enough here.
The very idea of Microsoft is liberation from the past, to create a digital culture and advance human knowledge!
Ralph Reeds preaches "absolutism" And he endorses the death of Democracy and the establishment of a Theocracy. Microsoft thinks they can buy off evil? Go ask the Germans about that idea!
For further information see www.NYTimes.com Page 12 "Microsoft weighs reversal on Gay Rights Issue"
Be advised, the issue here is not Gay rights in particular, it's Bill Gates callousness in giving $20,000 a month to a political predator. Reed is the antithesis of everything Microsoft claims to represent.

The election of Pope Benedict 16 is an opportunity for the Catholic Church to take a rest, gather energy and engage private consideration of the future. The Pope should make clear early on that he will not be making changes nor challenging anyone for a time. He should establish in a quiet way the need for everyone to reflect on the legacy of John Paul 2d and recognize that there was a truly inspiring man. JP2 will cast a considerable shadow for decades to come.

PB16 deserves every chance and a time to adjust.

I wish him well.

Here is my take on the issues facing the College of Cardinals;
They will agrees as best they can on the following path:

The Catholic Church will elect an older African (white) Bishop and he will serve about six years.
He will do nothing for about a year and then issue a statement condemning condoms except to prevent AIDS. In this way the church will allow contraception in a fashion protecting doctrine and recognizing the value of human life. Every decision made must be consistent with past ideas and not dangerous to the future.
In four years the church will announce that pills to prevent pregnancy in adolescent rape victims is permitted under a priests assistance. Thus the "Morning After Pill" will be ipso facto allowed. A pill that allows casual sex will not be allowed since the church sees sex as a tool of procreation and marriage.
In seven years or so there will be a new pope and he will broaden the application that married men can become priests. This will protect current priests from humiliation and establish a basis for flexibility and encourage new acolytes, married, stable and wanting to serve the church.
In twenty years the church will announce that sexual desire is genetic and thus involuntary and thus discrimination toward homosexuals is untenable. Homosexual priests will be officially celibate, but discrete unions will be allowed if they are not revealed.

Religion thinks in centuries, not decades. The Catholics are rational and understand the path of human affair's quite well.
The fad of consumer civilizations and the novelty of popular democracy might well pass. The church will wait and see and act accordingly.