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Elections seen as referendum on Obama

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Election Day 2009 featured three races that captured the eye of political pundits, who painted them an early referendum on U.S. President Barack Obama.

Going into Tuesday's elections Republican challengers led Democratic hopefuls in New Jersey and Virginia races for governor. Polls indicate Republican challenger Chris Christie leads Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in New Jersey and GOP challenger Bob McDonnell is holding a lead over Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds.

A congressional election in upstate New York has turned into a litmus test for conservatives. Locally GOP-endorsed Dede Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Democratic candidate Bill Owens following a backlash by Republican conservatives who put up their own candidate, Doug Hoffman.

Political observers said the party that has won the White House has lost Virginia for the past 32 years and failed in New Jersey for the past two decades, CNN noted. History -- laced with voter anger -- may repeat itself in 2009 and could provide a sneak peak at the 2010 midterm elections when the entire House of Representatives, a third of the U.S. Senate and a goodly number of governors are up.

In cities across the United States, people headed to the polls to determine who would lead their municipalities. In New York, incumbent Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, faced city Comptroller William Thompson Jr., with each offering his own prescription to cure the city's economic woes, The New York Times reported.

Other key races include Atlanta, which could elect its first white mayor since 1969, Houston, which could install the city's first openly gay mayor, and Detroit, where the interim successor to ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice, seeks a full term while trying to keep the Motor City out of bankruptcy, USA Today reported.

Other major cities voting for mayor include New York, Boston, Cleveland, Seattle, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.

Karzai promises inclusive govt.

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai, beginning his second term, Tuesday promised an inclusive government in which there will be crucial changes.

Karzai, who was re-elected after his opponent Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from a runoff election set for Saturday, said in a televised speech his government will get rid of the "blemish" of corruption, one of the firm conditions set by his Western supporters, The Times of London reported.

Abdullah withdrew after questioning the credibility of the runoff election.

"Our government will be the mirror of Afghanistan so everyone can see themselves in the mirror," Karzai said in his speech.

"There will be crucial changes in our future government. Afghanistan has been defamed from the view point of administrative corruption ... under whatever means, we will get rid off this blemish."

Karzai welcomed his opponents to join his government. Abdullah had refused to make a deal with Karzai, but the Times said the two have been negotiating privately about ministry seats or incorporating in some way Abdullah's platform.

Addressing a news conference later, Karzai urged the Taliban to lay down arms and join the peace process, Xinhua news agency reported.

Karzai told the reporters he wished Abdullah had taken part in the runoff, the BBC reported.

"We were hoping, and it would have been better for our country, for the democratic process and for us, if our brother Dr. Abdullah had participated in the second round and the second round had taken place," Karzai said.

Reward posted for Taliban chief's capture

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Pakistan has announced a reward of $600,000 for the capture, dead or alive, of Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the country's Taliban.

Rewards also were announced for 18 other leaders of the Taliban, blamed for recent terror attacks in major Pakistani cities as the military conducts its counterinsurgency in South Waziristan.

A $600,000 reward also was posted for senior Taliban leaders Wali ur-Rehman Mehsud and Qari Hussain Mehsud. Lesser rewards were posted for other leaders, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The announcement appeared on the front pages of some newspapers and was also broadcast on television.

"Anyone who captures these people dead or alive or provides concrete information, the government will award them a cash reward," the government said. "The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (the Pakistani Taliban) terrorists are daily involved in deadly activities and because of their activities innocent Muslims are going to the valley of death."

Desperate employees come to work sick

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Employees who do not get paid for sick days are reporting to work ill, raising fears they could be spreading the H1N1 flu virus, U.S. health officials say.

Workers who deal with the public, such as waiters and child care employees, often come in to their jobs sick because they can't afford to miss the pay -- a workforce that includes tens of millions of American employees -- and health officials say that's a danger to the public, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

"For people who are really caught on a weekly income, if they can't make a go of it, they might say, 'I'm desperate. I'm going to do what I have to do, and I'm going into work even though I'm sick,'" Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy at Harvard University, told the newspaper, adding that such workers will also send their flu-stricken children to school, infecting others.

"Providing workers with paid sick days is essential if we're going to get serious about the public health recommendations for swine flu -- stay home until 24 hours after your fever is broken. That usually takes about five days," added Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

Obama welcomes world, spiritual leaders

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- European dignitaries traveled to Washington for several meetings Tuesday with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House.

In the morning, Obama was to meet with Angela Merkel, recently re-elected as Germany's chancellor, the White House said.

In the afternoon, the president will participate in a U.S.-European Union Summit with the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council High Representative Javier Solana in the Cabinet Room.

Sandwiched between the meetings with European leaders was a meeting with All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world.