Names to Know
Online Journal editors have highlighted 15 people to watch in 2005 -- men and women who are set to shape the course of business, politics and world affairs in the next year.
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Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general
After eight years at the helm of the United Nations, Mr. Annan has called on member states to make 2005 the year of change as the world body addresses a clutch of complex issues, including international security, terrorism, genocide, poverty, human rights, weapons proliferation and HIV/AIDS. The U.S. expects the U.N. secretary-general to assist with elections in Iraq scheduled for Jan. 30, and Mr. Annan has said the U.N. will beef up support if necessary despite chilly relations with Washington since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The U.N. also is expected to aid elections in the Palestinian territories and to help resolve the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. The Ghanaian is midway into his second term as secretary-general and plans to build upon reforms to revitalize the global organization -- this amid calls for his resignation over allegations of corruption in the agency's defunct oil-for-food program in Iraq.
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Nick Denton, online publisher
The 2004 election may have made stars out of once-obscure online commentators, and larger sites have dabbled in blogs as well. Mr. Denton is looking to prove that blogging can be a business, building a small but growing galaxy of publications. Mr. Denton, publisher of the Wonkette political gossip blog and others, has become the poster boy for blog start-ups, snagging big-name advertisers with help from his highly targeted audiences. Altogether, his eight blogs, which include Gawker (Manhattan gossip) and Gizmodo (gadgets), pull in a total of more than 29 million page views monthly. Mr. Denton's next challenge will be to sustain Wonkette in the absence of election news while forging ahead at his other blogs and perhaps founding a new "it" site. Mr. Denton has also tried to assume a leading role, recently supporting calls for blog ethics standards and launching a service, called Kinja, to make it easier for readers to keep up with their favorite blogs.
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James Dimon, J.P. Morgan Chase chief operating officer
J.P. Morgan Chase's acquisition of Bank One returns Mr. Dimon to the center stage of the banking world -- more than five years after being pushed out as heir apparent at Citigroup. Mr. Dimon -- credited with aggressive cost-cutting that steered Bank One to profitability from near collapse -- is expected to have a similar zeal for eliminating costs at J.P. Morgan, where he has been named president and operating chief of the combined company, in preparation for a move to the chairman and CEO's office by 2006. He has promised to slash jobs and to squeeze $3 billion in annual cost savings from the merger by 2006. Not only is Mr. Dimon famous for trimming fat by eliminating perks -- including making executives pay for their own cellphones and even newspaper subscriptions -- he is also expected to guide the bank away from high-risk ventures and to expand the reach of its retail division, going head-to-head with legendary deal maker and former mentor Sanford Weill, head of Citigroup.
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Robert Iger, Walt Disney Co. president and chief operating officer
Mr. Iger is the only executive within Disney -- whose interests span television, movies and amusement parks -- who has been identified as a possible successor to Chief Executive Michael Eisner. Mr. Eisner plans to step down when his contract expires in September 2006, and the board has pledged to name his successor by this June. The stakes for Mr. Iger are high -- if he is passed over for the top job, it could spell the end of his career at the company. Disney is emerging from a tumultuous year that included Comcast's failed takeover attempt and an effort by dissident directors to oust Mr. Eisner, events that could hamper an insider's ascent to CEO. Until recently, the poor performance of the ABC television network, which Mr. Iger oversees, was seen as a potential barrier to his CEO ambitions. But ABC's ratings rebound this fall, thanks in large part new hit series "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," could have allayed those concerns. Mr. Iger's own contract expires in September; by then it should be apparent whether he stays or goes.
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Steve Jobs, Apple Computer chief executive, Pixar chief executive
Mr. Jobs has not one but two hot streaks going. At Pixar, his staff churned out another box-office smash, "The Incredibles." In the iPod, Apple invented the Walkman of the '00s and dominates digital music. Now, Mr. Jobs is trying to trying to regain market share in PCs, where Apple's Macs track well behind machines running Microsoft's Windows operating system. It will be tough for Apple to fight on two fronts -- both preserving the iPod's dominance in music players and taking on giants like Dell and H-P in computers. Meanwhile, Pixar -- the creator of "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo" -- had a big falling-out this year with Disney, the distributor of Pixar films through June 2006, when the animator's next feature, "Cars," is to be released. Analysts will be watching for the naming of a new distribution partner and to see whether Pixar can keep the hits coming.
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Mel Karmazin, Sirius Satellite Radio chief executive
Despite his more than 20 years in radio as chief of Infinity Broadcasting and later as president of Viacom, Mr. Karmazin has his work cut out for him. It's a two-man race in satellite, and Sirius trails XM Satellite Radio Holdings, which has 2.5 million subscribers, compared with Sirius's 700,000. Unlike traditional free radio, users have to pay monthly fees and buy expensive new radios. Mr. Karmazin once lambasted Sirius's business model but now, as the company's CEO, he is pegging his hopes on shock-jock Howard Stern, who signed a five-year, $500 million deal to join the company in 2006 -- and hopefully bring along his millions of listeners.
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Neelie Kroes, European Union competition commissioner
During the 1990s Ms. Kroes advocated privatization as Dutch transport commissioner, and her decisive, tough reputation earned her the moniker "Nickel Neelie"; she'll need mettle in her new job as EU antitrust chief. One crucial test comes in the wake of a recent appeals court ruling forcing Microsoft to comply with a more than $600 million fine levied in March. Microsoft is considering whether to appeal, a process that could take five years. Another case Ms. Kroes will face is a dispute over German aid to state-owned banks, which the EU has said artificially boosts their credit ratings. Ms. Kroes's predecessor won a case forcing the Germans to phase out state guarantees by mid-2005, demanding billions of euros in paybacks and requiring the government to lend them cash only under the same terms as private banks. Ms. Kroes will be judged on how she enforces these demands and avoids conflicts of interest in dealings with the more than 50 companies on whose boards she served.
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Edward S. Lampert, Kmart chairman
Through his hedge fund, ESL Investments Inc., Mr. Lampert pulled the discount retailer out of bankruptcy protection two years ago and orchestrated its planned acquisition of Sears Roebuck in November. The tie-up will create Sears Holding, the No. 3 retailer in the U.S., behind Wal-Mart Stores and Home Depot. While Mr. Lampert was able to jump-start auto-parts retailer Autozone a few years ago, the new Sears will be a bigger challenge. To get the ailing retailers back to health, he plans an emphasis on long-term profit gains instead of quarter-to-quarter growth. Kmart's same-store sales have fallen, even as earnings have climbed, and with about 3,500 stores between Kmart and Sears, the new company will need an effective real-estate strategy to either convert or sell off unprofitable stores to get to where the customers are.
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Michael Leavitt, appointed Health and Human Services secretary
If approved by the Senate, Mr. Leavitt will take the reins at the Department of Health and Human Services after serving one year as chief of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Leavitt, who was governor of Utah before moving to the EPA, has his work cut out for him at his new job. As ultimate overseer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mr. Leavitt must address hot-button topics such as protecting the vulnerable U.S. food supply, handling a potential flu outbreak and vaccine shortage and maintaining scrutiny of the FDA after the recent withdrawal of painkiller Vioxx. While Mr. Leavitt can expect to inherit a tight budget, he'll also need to further rein in government health-care spending in light of budget cuts, and as overseer of Medicare and Medicaid , he'll be in charge of implementing last year's Medicare law, which establishes drug coverage in 2006 for the elderly and disabled.
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Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan president
Gen. Musharraf, a crucial U.S. ally in the global war on terror, has angered Pakistani militants and former supporters with his alliance with Washington since the 2001 terror attacks on the U.S. Renewed peace efforts with neighbor India have eased decades of enmity between the two nuclear powers over the disputed Kashmir region, but Kashmir still looms as the main hurdle to their economic cooperation. Meantime, Gen. Musharraf's commitment to democracy appears shaky. The general, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, has signaled he may backpedal on his pledge to relinquish his role as head of the military by the end of 2004.
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Harry Reid, incoming Senate minority leader
As the new leader of the Senate's Democrats, the veteran Nevada lawmaker will find himself at the nexus of some lively battles. Paramount among the looming fights is the selection of a successor to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who is widely expected to leave the Supreme Court in 2005. Mr. Reid has promised to "screw things up" for the GOP, but Republican Leader Bill Frist has vowed to crush any attempts to filibuster nominees. Mr. Reid also has said he wouldn't consider Clarence Thomas, whom he calls "an embarrassment," for the post of chief justice. The differences with Republicans don't end there; Mr. Reid is also a staunch opponent of Social Security privatization. But he may have some bones to pick with his own party. His stated opposition to abortion could fuel discord with the Democratic establishment, particularly if former presidential candidate Howard Dean is chosen to succeed Terry McAuliffe as party chairman.
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Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. founder
Are there second helpings in American lives? Ms. Stewart will find out when she wraps up her five-month prison term in March for lying about the sale of Imclone stock. She plans a quick return to the spotlight, with plans for a daily cooking and crafts show starting in September, and she's expected to launch a prime-time reality show as part of her campaign to resurrect her image and the prospects of the company she founded. In September, before reporting to prison, she negotiated a new five-year contract, getting $900,000 a year plus bonuses and at least $500,000 a year for use of her properties. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's fortunes have sagged since Ms. Stewart's legal troubles began. But the merger of Sears Roebuck and Kmart, which carries Martha Stewart Living products, also could bring a boost, as the merchandise could also now be sold at Sears.
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John Thain, New York Stock Exchange chief executive
Big changes are coming for the 212-year-old New York Stock Exchange, and guiding the way is Mr. Thain, CEO of the NYSE for almost a year now. His most immediate challenge will be ensuring the NYSE -- the world's largest equity exchange -- emerges unscathed from updates to the "trade through" rule governing how trades are priced. Under an SEC proposal, the rule, which already exists for certain trades, would be expanded, potentially leading to more automated trading. This could spell trouble for the tradition-bound NYSE and its open-outcry system, but it has shown a willingness to adapt -- possibly by combining electronic and floor trading. Among other challenges for Mr. Thain: addressing discussion about whether the nonprofit institution should go public; moving past former chief Dick Grasso's lingering pay scandal; and luring more companies from Nasdaq, which has seen fewer defectors to the Big Board recently and hosted Google's big IPO earlier this year.
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Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry executive director
Gay marriage was soundly defeated in 11 states in the November election. Opponents of gay marriage credited the issue with rallying conservative Christian voters, who turned out heavily to propel President Bush to re-election. Despite talk of more backlash against gay-rights efforts, Mr. Wolfson, who Time magazine named one of 100 most influential people in the world last year, says supporters shouldn't retreat on gay marriage. Mr. Wolfson, a lawyer who has been pursuing the issue for 20 years and has been involved in some landmark cases, will lead the group's collaboration with organizations such as GLAAD, the ACLU and Lambda Legal. The goal: to secure full marriage rights in at least one state.
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Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine politician
Despite dioxin poisoning and a disputed electoral defeat, former Prime Minister Yushchenko hasn't wavered in his pursuit of Ukraine's presidency. His quest sparked what has been called the Orange Revolution, a movement in Kiev that began with protests and allegations of fraud in the Nov. 21 presidential runoff and eventually prompted the country's highest court to call for a Dec. 26 revote. Widely expected to triumph over current Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in the rematch, Mr. Yushchenko vows to prosecute political and economic crimes connected with outgoing President Leonid Kuchma. Admittance into the EU and implementation of an independent foreign policy top his agenda. But many Russian-speaking Ukrainians worry about loosening ties to the Kremlin and some, especially in eastern Ukraine, say a Yushchenko victory could prompt them to break from the rest of the country. Mr. Yanukovych supports a traditional political and economic orientation to Moscow. Whatever the outcome, the winner will face a revenue-starved economy and a country marred by political unrest.
2005年值得关注的15人
《华尔街日报》网络版的编辑们挑选出15位在2005年应受到特别关注的人，这些人有可能在未来的一年中对商业、政治及世界事务等领域产生重大影响。
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联合国秘书长科菲?安南(Kofi Annan)
在安南担任了八年的联合国秘书长之后，如今的联合国仍面临著各种各样复杂的问题，包括国际安全、反恐、种族屠杀、贫困、人权、武器扩散以及艾滋病等，安南已号召各成员国将2005年作为变革的一年。美国预计这位联合国秘书长将会帮助伊拉克在1月30日如期举行大选，而安南也表示，如果有必要，联合国将会增加对伊拉克的援助，尽管自美国入侵伊拉克以来，美国与联合国的关系颇为紧张。预计联合国也会对巴勒斯坦的大选提供帮助，并帮助苏丹解决达尔福尔地区的危机问题。安南作为联合国秘书长的第二届任期过半，他计划通过改革给联合国带来新的气息。不过也有人指控他在伊拉克的石油换食品计划中徇私舞弊，并因此要求他下台。
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网络出版商尼克?登顿(Nick Denton)
2004年的美国总统大选让曾经默默无闻的网络评论员崭露头角，大型网站也开始纷纷涉足网络日志(blog)业务。登顿正在向世人证明网络日志也能带来滚滚财源，他的网络出版业务规模虽然不大，但却发展迅速。他发行包括Wonkette政治闲谈网络日志等在内的多种日志，并已成为网络日志初创公司的典范，由于他发行的网络日志受众目标明确，因此吸引了不少大型的广告公司。他发行的包括Gawker和Gizmodo在内的八个网络日志每月总的浏览量超过2,900万次。登顿面临的下一个挑战是，在美国大选过后，如何让Wonkette继续维持下去，同时让其他网络日志继续得到发展，或是建立一个新的站点。登顿还竭力在这个领域中发挥重要的作用，最近他支持了要求建立网络日志道德规范的号召，并推出了一项名为Kinja的新服务，读者通过这项服务能够更轻松地追踪到他们最喜欢的网络日志。
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摩根大通公司(JPMorgan Chase & Co.)首席营运长詹姆斯?迪蒙(James Dimon)
摩根大通收购美一银行(Bank One Corp.)让迪蒙又重新回到了银行业的核心位置，5年多前迪蒙曾被外界普遍认为是花旗集团(Citigroup)首席执行长不二人选，但最终未能如愿。迪蒙在美一银行采取了大刀阔斧的成本削减措施，把该行从几近破产的边远拉了回来，还实现了盈利，这也为他赢得了不少声誉。作为合并后新公司的总裁和首席营运长，预计迪蒙也会将同样的热情投入到成本削减工作中，为他在2006年时当上公司董事长和首席执行长做好准备。他誓言要到2006年之前，通过合并精减人员、每年节约成本30亿美元。迪蒙以善于削减额外补贴而闻名，他让管理人士自己支付手机费用、甚至让他们自己订阅报纸，预计他还会让公司远离高风险业务领域，扩大零售业务的范围，与他以前的良师、在业界享有盛誉的花旗集团董事长桑福德?威尔(Sanford Weill)展开激烈竞争。
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沃尔特-迪斯尼公司(Walt Disney Co.)总裁兼首席营运长罗伯特?伊格尔(Robert Iger)
伊格尔被看做是迪斯尼内部有可能接任首席执行长麦克尔?艾斯纳(Michael Eisner)职位的唯一人选。艾斯纳计划在2006年9月他的工作合同到期后卸任，董事会表示将在2005年6月前确定首席执行长的人选。伊格尔被选中的可能性很大，否则他在迪斯尼的职业生涯可能会划上一个句号。今年对于迪斯尼而言可谓多事之秋，先是康卡斯特收购迪斯尼未果，然后又发生董事会成员要求罢免艾斯纳的事件，而这一事件可能会妨碍公司内部人士升任首席执行长的职位。直到最近，人们还担心伊格尔负责的美国广播公司(ABC)业绩不佳会阻碍他成为首席执行长。不过，今年秋季ABC的收视率出现反弹，其中很大一部分要归功于《绝望的主妇》(Desperate Housewives)和《迷失》(Lost)两部连续剧的热播，这也可能会为伊格尔扫清一些障碍。伊格尔的工作合同将于9月份到期，届时他的去留问题将会有个明确的答案。
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苹果电脑(chief executive)首席执行长兼Pixar首席执行长斯蒂夫?乔伯斯(Steve Jobs)
对于乔伯斯而言，今年可谓双喜临门，Pixar出品的动画片《超人特工队》(The Incredibles)票房大获全胜，而苹果推出的iPod音乐播放器也主宰了数字音乐市场。现在，乔伯斯正在竭力夺回个人电脑的市场占有率，苹果的Mac电脑的市场占有率远远落后于装载微软(Microsoft)Windows操作系统的电脑。对于苹果而言，在两条战线上同时开战困难不小：既要保住iPod在音乐播放器领域的主导地位，还要与戴尔(Dell)和惠普(H-P)这些产业巨头在电脑行业展开竞争。同时，Pixar今年与迪斯尼产生了分歧，而到2006年6月之前迪斯尼还会继续负责发行Pixar的电影，届时Pixar将会推出一部名为《汽车》(Cars)的片子。分析师们都在关注Pixar新的发行人选，看看Pixar是否能将高票房进行下去。
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Sirius Satellite Radio首席执行长梅尔?卡尔马津(Mel Karmazin)
虽然他在维亚康姆(Viacom Inc.)供职超过20年，先是执掌Infinity Broadcasting、后成为维亚康姆的总裁，但他最终还是选择了离开。在卫星广播业，这是一场两个人的战争，Sirius跟随在XM Satellite Radio Holdings后面，后者的订户数量达到了250万户，而Sirius的为700,000户。和传统的免费广播行业不同，卫星广播用户每月需要付费，并且还要购买昂贵的新收听设备。卡尔马津曾大肆抨击Sirius的商业模式，然而现在，作为该公司的首席执行长，他将希望寄托在了大牌播音员霍华德?施特恩(Howard Stern)身上，施特恩与Sirius签署了金额为5亿美元的5年期协议，将从2006年开始加盟该公司，希望到时候他能将他的几百万名听众也带过来。
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欧盟(European Union)竞争事务专员内莉?克鲁伊(Neelie Kroes)
90年代，作为荷兰运输部长，克鲁伊曾极力鼓吹私有化，她因为果断和强硬而被人戏称为“魔头克鲁伊”，作为欧盟竞争事务专员，她也需要同样的决心和勇气。最近欧洲初审法院判定微软接受欧盟在3月份作出的一项金额超过6亿美元的反垄断惩罚措施，这对于克鲁伊可能会是一个严峻的考验。微软正在考虑是否提出上诉，这一过程可能需要5年的时间。克鲁伊面临的另一个棘手案件是有关德国政府援助国有银行的问题，欧盟认为，德国政府的援助人为地提高了这些银行的信用评级。克鲁伊的前任曾打赢了一场官司，要求德国政府在2005年中之前逐步停止国家担保，偿还数十亿欧元的借款，并且国有银行在向德国政府贷款时应遵照与私有银行同样的条件。克鲁伊将如何执行这些决议，以及在处理与她担任董事的50多家公司有关的案件时，将如何避免发生利益冲突，人们对此将拭目以待。
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Kmart董事长艾德华?S?拉姆普特(Edward S. Lampert)
通过他的对冲基金ESL Investments Inc.，拉姆普特两年前将这家折扣零售商拉出了破产保护的境地，并在11月开始执行对西尔斯(Sears Roebuck)的收购计划。两者合并将缔造出美国第三大零售商Sears Holding，位居沃尔玛(Wal-Mart Stores)和Home Depot之后。尽管拉姆普特数年前能够顺利启动汽车零部件零售商Autozone，但是新的西尔斯将是一个更大的挑战。为使境况不佳的两家零售商恢复生机，他计划将重心放在长期利润而非每个季度的增长率上面。尽管Kmart的收益不断攀升，但其同店销售额却一致处于下滑态势之中，鉴于Kmart和西尔斯总共拥有3,500家商店，新公司将需要一个行之有效的地产战略，将亏损商店或改造或廉价出售，以满足销售的需求。
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新任命的美国卫生部长麦克尔?里维特(Michael Leavitt)
如果获得参议院的批准，在领导环境保护署(Environmental Protection Agency)一年之后，里维特将执掌美国卫生与公共服务部(Department of Health and Human Services)。里维特在赴环境保护署就任前曾任犹他州州长，他在这个新职位的职责已经非常明确。作为疾病管制局和疾病预防局的最终监管人，里维特必须解决诸如保护美国脆弱的食品供应链、应付潜在流感爆发和疫苗短缺，以及在最近食品和药物管理局(FDA)撤销止疼药万络(Vioxx)后对FDA详加审查等棘手事宜。尽管里维特预计预算仍然很紧，但是由于预算削减，他还需要进一步控制政府的健康保健支出，作为美国老年保健医疗制度(Medicare)和联邦医疗保险(Medicaid)的监管人，他还将负责执行去年的老年保健医疗制度法律，这项法律为老人和残疾人确立了2006年的医药范围。
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巴基斯坦总统穆沙拉夫(Pervez Musharraf)
穆沙拉夫将军是美国全球反恐战争中的一个重要盟友，自2001年美国遭受恐怖袭击以来，他与华盛顿的联盟惹怒了巴基斯坦军方和其前支持者。与邻国印度的和谈消除了两个核大国因克什米尔地区争议存在了数十年的敌对情绪，但是克什米尔仍然是两国经济合作的主要障碍。与此同时，穆沙拉夫将军对民主的承诺似乎不够坚决。这位在1999年不流血政变中获得执政权的将军表示，他可能会撤销他在2004年年底前交出军事领导权的承诺。
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参议院即将上任的少数党领袖哈利?雷德(Harry Reid)
作为参议院民主党的新领袖，这位内华达州的老牌议员将发现自己身处一些激烈斗争的核心。一场即将到来的大战是选择首席法官威廉?瑞克斯特(William Rehnquist)的继承人选，人们普遍预计瑞克斯特将在2005年离开联邦最高法院。雷德承诺将对共和党施以强硬脸色，但是共和党领袖比尔?福瑞斯特(Bill Frist)誓言将粉碎任何阻扰候选人的企图。雷德还表示，他不会考虑克莱任斯(Clarence Thomas)担任首席法官，他将此人称为“一个尴尬之人”。他和共和党人的分歧还不止于此；雷德还是一个社会保险私有化的坚定反对者。但是他可能在自己党内挑起争端。他公开反对堕胎会给民主党带来不和谐的声音，尤其是如果前总统候选人霍华德?迪恩(Howard Dean)被挑选接任特瑞?麦克里夫(Terry McAuliffe)担任党主席职务。
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Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.的创始人玛莎?斯图尔特(Martha Stewart)
斯图尔特还会东山再起吗？当斯图尔特3月份结束为期5个月的刑期时，她将会得到答案。斯图尔特因在抛售Imclone股票一事上说谎而被判入狱。她计划马上回到聚光灯下，打算在9月份开播一个日常烹调和手艺节目，而且预计她将在黄金时间推出一个真实节目秀，以修复她以及她一手创建的公司的形象。去年9月份，在她入狱之前，她谈妥了一个新的5年期合约，为此她每年将获得900,000美元收入外加奖金，并获得每年至少500,000美元的资产使用费。 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia的财富在斯图尔特官司缠身后便开始缩水。但是西尔斯和Kmart的合并可能会提振该公司业绩，因为原先在Kmart销售的该公司生活用品可能也将会在西尔斯销售。
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纽约证交所(New York Stock Exchange)首席执行长约翰?赛恩(John Thain)
具有212年历史的纽约证交所将面临巨大变革，变革的主导者正是约翰?赛恩，赛恩就任纽约证交所首席执行长一职已接近1年时间。他面临的最直接挑战将是确保纽约证交所－－世界最大的股票交易所－－在升级到新交易规则后毫发不损。根据美国证券交易委员会的一项提议，目前已经应用于某些交易的新规则将扩大范围，这可能会导致更多的自动交易。这将给传统的纽约证交所和其场内交易系统带来麻烦，但是它已经表露了采用新规定的意愿－－可能将电子和场内交易结合使用。赛恩还面临其他挑战：解决是否将该非盈利机构上市的争论；解决前首席执行长迪克?格拉索(Dick Grasso)久拖未决的薪酬丑闻；从那斯达克吸引更多公司上市，最近少有公司从那斯达克转投到纽约证交所，今年早些时候那斯达克吸引到了Google大型IPO。
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Freedom to Marry首席执行长埃文?沃尔森(Evan Wolfson)
在11月的总统大选中，同性恋婚姻在11个州遭到彻底失败。同性恋婚姻的反对者将此归功于保守的基督徒投票者齐心协力，他们在投票日群体出动支持布什连任。尽管争取同性恋权利的努力据说可能将遭遇更多的反弹，沃尔森称支持者们在同性恋婚姻问题上不应该退让。沃尔森去年被《时代》(Time)杂志提名为全球最具影响力的100人之一。沃尔森是一名律师，他为这一问题已经奋斗了20年，并且是一些里程碑事件的当事人。他将带领该团体与诸如GLAAD、ACLU和Lambda Legal之类的组织合作。他的目标是：至少在一个州获得完全的婚姻权利。
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乌克兰政治人物尤先科(Viktor Yushchenko)
尽管经历了戴奥辛中毒和一场有争议的选举挫败，但是前
总理尤先科并未动摇角逐总统宝座的决心。他的奋争引发了一场所谓的“橙色革命”，这场在基辅发生的运动始于抗议和有关11月21日总统大选存在欺诈的指控，并最终促使该国最高法庭决定在12月26日举行重新选举。人们普遍预计尤先科在重新选举中将以绝对优势战胜现任总理亚努科维奇(Viktor Yanukovych)，尤先科誓言将追查与现任总统库奇玛(Leonid Kuchma)有关的政治和经济犯罪。 加入欧盟和执行外交独立政策是尤先科的首要议程。但是许多讲俄语的乌克兰人担忧与克里姆林宫的关系将渐行渐远，尤其是一些来自乌克兰东部的人称，尤先科获胜可能会导致他们从该国中分裂出去。亚努科维奇支持向莫斯科倾斜的传统政治和经济政策。不论结果如何，胜出者都将面对一个财政拮据和政治动荡的国家。
