Nation briefs 10/21/15

Webb drops bid for president

WASHINGTON -- Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said Tuesday he is dropping out of the Democratic race for president and is considering his options about how he might "remain as a voice" in the campaign. Webb said he is "withdrawing from any consideration" of becoming the Democratic party's nominee and would spend the coming weeks exploring his options about an independent bid. "The very nature of our democracy is under siege due to the power structure and the money that finances both political parties," Webb said, joined by his wife, Hong Le Webb. "Our political candidates are being pulled to the extremes. They're increasingly out of step with the people they're supposed to serve." Webb said many of the issues he cares about are not in line with the hierarchy of the Democratic party, saying he did not have a "clear, exact fit" in either party.

Biden says he backed bin Laden raid

WASHINGTON -- Still silent about his presidential ambitions, Vice President Joe Biden cast himself as President Barack Obama's kindred spirit Tuesday and backtracked on his previous claims to have advised Obama against the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Without mentioning Hillary Rodham Clinton by name, Biden sought to portray his own leadership as more critical to the Obama administration's successes than that of the Democratic front-runner and former secretary of state. At a forum honoring former vice president Walter Mondale, Biden offered clear hints at how, if he runs for president, he would contest Clinton's claim to the president's legacy and appeal to Democratic voters whose loyalty to Obama remains firm. "President Obama and I have ideologically had no disagreement," Biden said. "I mean none. Zero."

Mormon leader raps Kentucky clerk

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Mormon Church staked a deeper claim to middle ground in American society Tuesday, advocating for compromises between protecting religious liberties and prohibiting discrimination and criticizing Kentucky clerk Kim Davis for refusing to license gay marriages. "We may have cultural differences, but we should not have 'culture wars,"' Mormon leader Dallin H. Oaks said. "On the big issues ... both sides should seek a balance, not a total victory. For example, religionists should not seek a veto over all non-discrimination laws that offend their religion, and the proponents of non-discrimination should not seek a veto over all assertions of religious freedom." The speech marked another landmark moment in the conservative religion's transformation from a faith that frowned on gays and lesbians to one becoming more welcoming and compassionate, albeit in small steps that may seem nominal to outsiders.

-- From wire reports