Why Overachievers Choke Under Pressure

Perhapsoneofthegreatestupsetsingolfhistoryhappenedinthe1966U.S.OpenwhenlegendArnoldPalmerwhowasleadingbysevenstrokeschokedinthefinalnineholes,handingtheadvantageandultimatewintoBillyCasper.



Eventhebestplayerscanhaveasubparshowingonthefield.YetwhilethesportsworldislitteredwithchokingincidentslikePalmer's,itisn'tjustathleteswhoaresusceptibletofailureincrucialsituations.Thisconditioncanafflicttopstudentswhoeasilyaceeveryexambutblowthemidterm,oraseniorvicepresidentwhospeakseloquentlyatconferencesbutflubsthecompanyseminar.



Butwhyaresomehighachieverspronetochoking?



In"Choke:WhattheSecretsoftheBrainRevealAboutGettingItRightWhenYouHaveTo"(FreePress,2010),SianBeilock,anassociateprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofChicago,detailshersandothers'researchshowinghowoverachieversarehighincognitivehorsepower,makingthemmorelikelytochokeinanxiety-inducingcircumstances.

Brainlimits

Thathigh-octanecognitioncomesfromtheirworkingmemory(linkedtoabrainregionhousedintheprefrontalcortex),atypeof"mentalscratchpad"thatallowsapersontoworkwithinformationheldinconsciousness,Beilockexplained.Workingmemoryinvolvesholdinginformationinmemorywhileaccomplishingtasksatthesametime.

"Theyfeelalotofpressuretosucceedbecausetheyhavehighexpectations,butalsobecausetheynormallyrelyheavilyonworkingmemorythatisreallycompromisedunderstress,"Beilocksaid.

Althoughworkingmemoryisimportantfornavigatingtoughreasoningtasks,itisnotalwaysoptimaltorelyonit.Innerve-rackingsituations,theseaccomplishedindividualsmaytrytomanageeverylittlenuancetoinsurethattheycomeoutontop;however,thismayresultinanegativeoutcome.

"Ifyouaredoingaskillthatisbetterleftonautopilot,maybehittingaputtthatwehavemadeathousandtimesinthepastorgivingaspeechthatwehavememorizedcompletely,thatkindofcontrol,tryingtodissecteverywordorstepcanreallybackfire,"BeilocktoldLiveScience.Essentiallythere’snotenoughbrainpowertogoaround,andsosomethinghastogive.

Stereotypethreat

Beilocknotesthatchokingcanalsobeattributedtostereotypethreatsorinternalizingnegativestereotypesthatcanaffectoutcomesinacademicandathleticsituations.

Forinstance,shenotedfindingslikea1995studybyStanfordUniversitypsychologistsClaudeSteeleandJoshuaAronsoninshowingsubtletasks,suchasindicatingyourraceorgenderorlistingyoursocioeconomicstatusbeforetakinganexam,cansignificantlyinfluenceone’sabilitiesonthattest.

"Smallthingscanbeareallybigthreatonsomeone'sperformance,"Beilocksaid,addingthatbybeingawareofthesestereotypesisasteptowardfiguringouthowtothwarttheireffects.

Chokingchecks

Beilockstressestheimportanceofrolemodelsforempoweringthosevulnerabletostereotypeslikeminorities,womenandyoungchildren.Inaddition,shesuggestsexercises,includingmeditation,writingdownworriesandself-affirmingqualitiestocombatstereotypes.

Theseexercisescanbepracticeddailyifthat'swhenapersonfeelsthreatened,orjustbeforekeyeventslikeexams,athleticcompetitionsandspeeches.

"Thesepositivequalitiesareenoughtotakesomeofthepressureoffofsomeofthesestereotypesthatmightweighontheirshouldersallthetime,"Beilocksaid."Yougetintothisrecursivecyclewhereif[children]canperformjustalittlebetteronce,thatgivesthemabitmoreconfidenceintheirabilitynexttimearound."

AsforthePalmertypes,herbooksuggeststechniqueslikepracticingunderconditionsthatmirrorsomeofthestressathletesfaceongameday,includingvideotapingtrainingsessionsandfocusingonstrategy(whattodo)insteadoftechnique(howtodoit)—i.e.gettinginthezone,notyourhead.

"Playing'outofone'smind,'sotospeak,islikelyoneofthereasonsthatprofessionalathletesdon’toftengivethemostinformativeinterviewsaftertheirbiggame,"shewrote."Becausetheseathletesoperateattheirbestwhentheyarenotthinkingabouteverystepofperformance,theyfinditdifficulttogetbackinsidetheirheadstoreflectonwhattheyjustdid."

•10WaystoKeepYourMindSharp

•Understandingthe10MostDestructiveHumanBehaviors

•10ThingsYouDidn'tKnowAbouttheBrain

Summers' Exit May Be Prelude to More Changes

AP

Lawrence Summers, seen here in New York, plans to leave the White House at the end of the year.

WASHINGTON -- The departure of President Obama's top economic adviser at the end of the year could provide the White House with an opportunity to revamp its economic team after the November elections, when voters are expected to take out their anxieties on Democrats.

The White House said Tuesday that Lawrence Summers, director of the National Economic Council, would leave at the end of the year to return to Harvard University. Though administration officials said Obama had known for some time that Summers would depart this year, news of his pending exit comes amid deep concern over the sluggish pace of the recovery, as well as criticism of the team that conceived the administration's economic policies.

Summers was the chief architect of many of those policies, playing a central role in the massive economic stimulus and the government bailout of the auto industry. He also was an advocate for the financial regulatory legislation Obama signed into law earlier this year.

But with those issues behind him and the end of his two-year leave from Harvard looming, a senior administration official said Summers felt it was the right time to go.

Summers, who served as treasury secretary during the Clinton administration, hadn't planned to return to government, the official said, but felt compelled to do so by the president and the economic conditions facing the country. He only wanted to stay for a year, but Obama asked him to stay through 2010 to oversee financial regulation and the implementation of the stimulus, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House matters.

In a statement, the president said he was grateful for Summers' service during a time of "great peril for our country."

"While we have much work ahead to repair the damage done by the recession, we are on a better path thanks in no small measure to Larry's wise counsel," Obama said.

Obama has already lost two other high-level economic advisers: budget director Peter Orszag and the chief of the Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Romer, both of whom resigned this summer. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner would be the only one of Obama's top-tier economic advisers to remain with the administration should he stay through the end of the year.

There was speculation that Obama might turn to a corporate executive to replace Summers as a way to deflect criticism that his administration is antibusiness. Also, the White House is acutely aware that there are no women in top economic posts following Romer's departure; nor do the current advisers have significant private-sector experience.

Rep. John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, the House minority leader, called on Obama last month to fire Summers, Geithner and other members of the economic team, saying, "Never before has the need for a fresh start in Washington been more pressing."

Though the White House dismissed Boehner's calls as politically motivated, Obama never ruled out changes in his advisory team. And with unemployment hovering near double digits and the public increasingly worried about the pace of the recovery, it's likely Obama would have had to make changes after the midterms had advisers like Summers and Romer not chosen to leave on their own.

Changes probably will extend beyond the economic team. Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is considering leaving the White House to run for Chicago mayor, and officials have said other aides also could leave after the elections.

Summers has a reputation as a brilliant, if occasionally smug, economist. During the debate over overhauling the nation's financial regulations, liberals bristled at Summers' rejection of proposals to place limits on the size of banks. They held him partly responsible for the deregulation of banks that occurred in 1999 while he was treasury secretary.

When he returns to Harvard, he will be going back to his roots. At age 28 he became one of the youngest professors to receive tenure at Harvard. After leaving the Clinton Cabinet in 2001, he returned to Harvard as its new president, where he had a tense relationship with the university faculty. It erupted when he argued that gender differences explained why fewer women pursued math and science careers. He resigned in 2006.

New Survey on Sex in U.S., Biggest Since 1994

iStock

U.S.teensarenotasrecklessassomepeoplemightthinkwhenitcomestosex,andtheyaremuchmorelikelytousecondomsthanpeopleover40,accordingtoasurveyreleasedonMondaythatcouldhelpguidepublichealthpolicy.



ThestudyfromsexresearchersatIndianaUniversityandpaidforbyTrojancondommakerChurchDwightCoisthemostcomprehensivelookatsexbehaviorsintheUnitedStatesinthepast20years.



Somefindingsheartenedpublichealthofficials--oneinfouractsofvaginalintercourseinvolvecondomuse.Andamongpeoplewhoaresingle,thatfigureisoneinthree.



CondomuseishigheramongblackandHispanicAmericansthanamongwhites,andislowestamongpeopleover40,thenationallyrepresentativeInternetsurveyof5,865Americansaged14to94found.



Theresults,presentedinninepeer-reviewedstudiesintheJournalofSexualMedicine,debunkedstereotypesaboutteensbeingrecklesswhenitcomestosex.



Only14percentof14-year-oldboysreportedanykindofsexualinteractionwithapartnerinthepriorthreemonths,butalmost40percentof17-year-oldmalesdid,IndianaUniversityresearcherDr.DennisFortenberrytoldamediabriefing,addingthatthefindingsweresimilarinfemales.



Hesaidmanyteensreachage18withnosexualexperience,andforthosewhodohavesex,condomuseisroutine.



"Inthisstudy,somewherebetween70and80percentofadolescentsreportedcondomuseattheirmostrecentvaginalintercourse,"Fortenberrysaid.



"Thisindicateswe'vehadarealpublichealthsuccessthatweneedtoacknowledge."





Theteamfoundthatinthepast20years,mostadultshavemovedfarfromthetraditionalnotionofsexasvaginalintercourse.Peopleinthesurveyreportedengagingin41sexualpracticesincludingoralandanalsex.



"Whilevaginalintercourseisstillthemostcommonsexualbehaviorbyadults,manysexualeventsdonotinvolveintercourse,"IndianaUniversityresearcherDebraHerbenick,anexpertinwomen'ssexualhealth,toldatelephonebriefing.



Otherfindings:



*Some85percentofmensaytheirsexualpartnerexperiencedorgasmduringsex,butjust64percentofwomensaytheydid.



*About7percentofwomenand8percentofmensurveyedsaidtheyaregay,lesbianorbisexual,butthenumberofpeoplewhohavehadsame-gendersexishigher,theteamsaid.



*Aboutathirdofwomensaytheyexperiencedpainduringtheirmostrecentsexencounter,comparedwith5percentofmen.Herbenicksaidmoreresearchisneededtounderstandwhy.



*Menaremorelikelytoexperienceorgasmwhensexincludesvaginalintercourse,whilewomenaremorelikelytowhentheyengageinavarietyofsexactsandwhenoralsexorvaginalintercourseisincluded,thesurveyfound.



HerbenicksaidunderstandingU.S.adults'sexualexperiencesaffectspublichealth,apointalsomadebyformerU.S.SurgeonGeneralDr.JoycelynElders.



"Inorderforphysicians,nurses,pharmacists,andotherhealthcareprofessionalstoprovidesexualhealthinformationtotheirpatients,theymustfirsthavetheunderstandingofwhatthesexualbehaviorsareinthecommunityandhowtheyaremanifested,"Elderswroteinacommentary.



Dr.KevinFentonoftheU.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionsaidthepaperswillhelpastheWhiteHouserollsoutthenewU.S.AIDSpolicy.



"Wemustseizethismoment,"Fentonwroteinacommentary.

New survey on sex in US, biggest since 1994

NEW YORK The male-female orgasm gap. The sex lives of 14-year-olds. An intriguing breakdown of condom usage rates, by age and ethnicity, with teens emerging as more safe-sex-conscious than boomers.

That's just a tiny sampling of the data being unveiled Monday in what the researchers say is the largest, most comprehensive national survey of Americans' sexual behavior since 1994.

Filling 130 pages of a special issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the study offers detailed findings on how often Americans have sex, with whom, and how they respond. In all, 5,865 people, ranging in age from 14 to 94, participated in the survey.

The lead researchers, from Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion, said the study fills a void that has grown since the last comparable endeavor the National Health and Social Life Survey was published 16 years ago. Major changes since then include the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, the types of sex education available to young people, the advent of same-sex marriage, and the emergence of the Internet as a tool for social interaction.

Dr. Dennis Fortenberry, a pediatrics professor who was lead author of the study's section about teen sex, said the overall findings of such a huge survey should provide reassurance to Americans who are curious about how their sex lives compare with others.

"Unless, like al-Qaida, you feel there's something abnormal about the American people, what these data say is, 'This is normal everything in there is normal.'"

The researchers said they were struck by the variety of ways in which the subjects engaged in sex 41 different combinations of sexual acts were tallied, encompassing vaginal and anal intercourse, oral sex, and partnered masturbation.

Men are more likely to experience orgasm when vaginal intercourse is involved, while women are more likely to reach orgasm when they engage in variety of acts, including oral sex, said researcher Debra Herbenick, lead author of the section about women's sex lives.

She noted there was a gap in perceptions 85 percent of the men said their latest sexual partner had an orgasm, while only 64 percent of the women reported having an orgasm in their most recent sexual event.

One-third of women experienced genital pain during their most recent sex, compared to 5 percent of men, said Herbenick, citing this as an area warranting further study.

The study, which began taking shape in 2007, was funded by Church & Dwight Co., the manufacturer of Trojan condoms. Questions about condom usage figured prominently in the study, but the researchers during a teleconference insisted the integrity of their findings was not affected by the corporate tie.

Among the findings was a high rate of condom usage among 14- to 17-year-olds. Of the surveyed boys who had sexual intercourse, 79 percent reported using a condom on the most recent occasion, compared to 25 percent for all the men in the survey.

However, the sample for that particular question involved only 57 teens in the 14-to-17 age range. That's far smaller than the thousands involved in latest federal Youth Risk Behavior Survey last year which calculated condom use among sexually active high school students at 61 percent

Fortenberry nonetheless found the new findings encouraging.

"There's been a major shift among young people in the role condoms have in their sexual lives," he said. "Condoms have become normative."

Another intriguing finding rates of condom usage among black and Hispanic men were significantly higher than for whites. The researchers said this suggested that HIV-AIDS awareness programs were now making headway in those communities, which have relatively high rates of the disease.

The lowest condom usage rates were for men over 50 and the researchers said this was worrisome. Although men in that age group are more likely to be married than males in their teens and 20s, other surveys have shown 50s-and-over to be far more open to multiple sexual partners than in the past, raising the risk for disease.

Other notable findings:

While about 7 percent of adult women and 8 percent of men identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, the proportion of individuals who have had same-gender sex at some point in their lives is higher. For example, 15 percent of the men aged 50-59 said they had received oral sex from another man at some point.

Among adolescent boys, only about 2 percent of the 14-year-olds but 40 percent of the 17-year-olds said they had engaged in sexual intercourse in the past year.

The survey was conducted from March through May of 2009, with the assistance of Knowledge Networks, among a nationally representative sample of adolescents and adults. Once people were selected to participate, they were interviewed online; participants without Internet access were provided it for free.

The researchers said the 1994 survey was compiled through in-person interviews, while the new method collecting data over the Internet may help make respondents more comfortable about discussing sexual behaviors.

Dr. Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, noted that the new study came more than 60 years after Alfred Kinsey also based at Indiana University published his groundbreaking report, "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male."

"Just like then, these papers contain material that is avant garde and often considered off-limits," Goldstein wrote in a forward to the study. "At a time when we can have nudity on HBO but cannot use the names of our genitals on the evening news, there remains a need to continue research on sexual health."

___

Online:

http://www.nationalsexstudy.indiana.edu

Why Bully Victims Suffer in Silence

Fromthetimeshestartedschoolthroughsixthgrade,TrishMcClunewasbullied.Kidscalledher"Tissue"andwipedtheirnosesonherclothes.Once,herbestfriendpunchedher.Evenhercousinsandsistergotinonthegame,forming"WHEAT"—the"WeHateEverythingAboutTrishClub."

"ThereweretimeswhenI'djustsitoutsidebymyselfatrecess,"McClune,now31andacommunicationsassociateinLancaster,Pa.,toldLiveScience."Justsitoutsideandpickthegrass,becauseIfeltliketheworldhatedme."

Despitethetorment,McClunedidn'ttellhermotheroranyotheradultsaboutthefullextentofthebullyingsheendured.Shedidn'tthinkitwoulddoanygood."Itwaslike,'What'sthepoint?'"McClunesaid.

McClune'sreactionisn'tunusual.Studieshaveshownthatnondisclosureisacommonchoiceamongbullyingvictims.

Recentresearchhaspointedtoracialandculturalconcernsinfluencingwhetherkidschoosetotell;schoolstructurematters,too.Oftenkidsthinktellingwon'tdoanygood,orthatthebullywillretaliateiftheytattle,saidSusanSwearer,aprofessorofschoolpsychologyattheUniversityofNebraska,Lincoln.

Andsometimesthey'reright,SwearertoldLiveScience.

"Kidswilltellus,'Itoldwhatwasgoingonandnothinghappened,'or'Itoldwhatwasgoingonanditgotworse.'"Swearersaid."Soadultreactiontothebullyingthat'stakingplaceisreallycritical."

Secretbullies

Thenumberofkidswhotellsomeoneaboutbullyingdiffersbasedonwhenandwherestudiesaredone.One1995studypublishedinthejournalEducationCanadafoundthatamongCanadianschoolchildren,aboutone-thirdofbullyvictimsnevertoldanadult.A2005studyofDutchelementaryschoolstudentsfoundthatnearlyhalfofbullyingvictimsdidn'ttelltheirteachersaboutthebullying.AmongDutchchildrenwhowerefrequentvictims,25percentkepttheirexperiencesfromadults,theresearchersreportedinthejournalHealthEducationResearch.

Finally,ina2009surveyofmiddleandhighschoolstudentsconductedbytheGay,LesbianandStraightEducationNetwork,62.4percentofbulliedgayandlesbianteensdidnotreporttheharassmenttoschoolofficials.Justoverone-thirdofthosewhohadreportedthebullyingsaidthattheschoolstaffdidnothinginresponse.

Reasonsforsecrecytendtofallintooneofsevencategories,accordingtoa2005reviewofresearchbyUniversityofTorontosocialworkers.Thecategories,reportedinthejournalChildrenSchools,were:

*Thecloakofsecrecy:Bullyingoftenhappensoutofadults'sight,insettingssuchashallwaysandschoollunchrooms.Thus,bullyingstaysbetweenthevictim,thebullyandpeerbystanders.

*Power:Bullyingismarkedbyoneparticipant—thebully—possessingmorepowerthantheother,whetherthatpowerisrealorperceived.Childrenlearntogainpowerbyaggressionandtoacceptwhenotherswieldaggressivepower.Soa"weak"victimisnotlikelytotattle.

*Self-blame:Victimsmayfeelshameandblamethemselvesfortheirsituation.Onegirltoldtheresearchersshewasatfaultforhervictimization,becauseshewas"alittlechubby."

*Retaliation:Tosomekids,thelogicissimple:Tellanadultandmakethebullymadder

*Vulnerability:Kidswhoarebulliedareoftenlessacceptedbytheirpeersandmaystrugglewithsocialskills.Theymayyearnforacceptancefromtheverypeoplewhotormentthem.

*Fearoflosingafriendship:Sometimestherelationshipbetweenbulliesandvictimsisn'tsostraightforward.Ifthevictimcountsthebullyasafriend(orwantstobehisorherfriend),tellingmaynotseemlikeanoption.

*Fearadultswilldonothing:Kidsmaybeskepticalthatadultscan,orwill,takestepstostopabully.

Complicatingfactors

Ontopofthosereasons,thechild'sowncharacteristicsmayplayarole.Reportingharassmentmayputachildinthepositionofhavingtohighlighthisorherowndifferences.Forexample,childrenoftransracialadoptionareoftenloathetodiscussracialharassmentwiththeirwhiteparents,saidSaraDocan-Morgan,aprofessorofcommunicationstudiesattheUniversityofWisconsin,LaCrosse.

Docan-Morgan'sresearch,reportedonlineOct.27intheJournalofSocialandPersonalRelationships,findsthatKoreanadultadopteeswithwhiteparentsoftenfacedrace-relatedbullyingaschildren,butmanynevertoldtheirparents.Manyfelttheirparentswouldneverunderstand,beingwhiteandthusnotsubjecttosimilartaunts.Otherssaidjustbringingupthebullyingwaspainful.

"Theyreallywantedtoblendinandfitin,"Docan-Morgansaid."Sobringingupthistopicof'I'mbeingteasedaboutmy

race'obviouslymakesthemstandoutandhighlightsthefactthattheydon'tblendinwiththeirfamiliesandtheircommunity."

Similarstumblingblockscouldstandinthewayofbulliedgayandlesbiankids,saidRitchSavin-Williams,aCornellUniversityexpertonadolescentdevelopmentandsexualminorityyouth.Whethergayorstraight,kidstendtogetteasedforfailingtoconformtogendernorms,Savin-Williamssaid.Sincetheissueisfraughtwithhomophobia,reportingthistypeofteasingmaybeespeciallytoughforkids.

"Theassociationisgayness,"Savin-Williamssaid."Soaboyisprobablynotaslikelytocomeuptoateacherorparentandsay,'EveryoneissayingI'maf**orI'mgay'...That'snotsomethingastraightkidoranykidwho'snotcomfortablewithidentityreallywantstobroadcast."

Culturemayalsoplayarole:Americanvictimstendtokeepbullyingsecrettoprotectthemselves,saidMasakiMatsunaga,aprofessorofcommunicationsatWasedaUniversityinTokyo.Theyfearotherpeoplewillrejectorblamethem.Ontheotherhand,Japanesebullyvictimskeepsecretstoprotectothers,Matsunagahasfound.Theyworrythatthisdisclosurewouldcausestressforthepersonthey'retelling.

Eitherway,Matsunagasaid,themethodofdrawingbullyingvictimsoutremainsthesame.

"Thebestapproachtosupportvictims,bothintheU.S.andJapan,andtoencouragethemtoopenup,istoshowempathyandaskabouttheirfeelingsinacaringtone,ratherthangivingadviceandsuggestionsaboutwhattodo,"Matsunagawroteinane-mailtoLiveScience.

Changingthesystem

Parentsshouldmakeapointofaskingtheirchildrenopen-endedquestionsabouttheirdaysandlisteningtotheresponses,saidtheUniversityofNebraska'sSwearer.Ifakidreportsbullying,Swearersaid,parentsshouldfocusonsolvingtheproblem,notexactingrevenge.[ReadBulliesonBullying:WhyWeDoIt]

"WhereIseethingsgoingsouthfastiswhenparentsmarchintotheschoolandthey'reirate,"shesaid."Itreallyendsupnothelpinganybody."

SwearerseesapositivetrendintheUnitedStatesofschoolsandstatesenactinganti-bullyingrulesandlaws.Still,shesaid,"attheindividualschoollevel,thereisquitealotofvariability"inhowseriouslybullyingistaken.

Thebestschoolshaveexplicitanti-bullyingpolicies,opencommunicationandaconfidentialsystemofreportingbullyingforstudents,Swearersaid.Giventhepopularity—andrelativeinvisibility—ofcyberbullying,shesaid,adultsneedtostayontopofwhat'shappeningwithkids.

"Itwouldbeniceifwecouldmovetoasystemwheretheadultsandkidsaretalkinginawaythatissolution-oriented,"Swearersaid."Ifwecouldbesmarteratthefrontendabouthowwe'redealingwiththis,we'dobviouslybebetteroff."

Forsome,however,theconvictionthatadultsturnablindeyetobullyingishardtoshake.McClunedidn'ttellhermotheraboutwhathappenedtoheruntilrecently.

"Shesaid,'IfIwouldhaveknownitwasthatbad,Iwouldhavedonesomethingaboutit,'"McClunesaid."Idon'tthinkshewouldhaveknownwhattodo."

*BehindBullying:WhyKidsAreSoCruel

*Understandingthe10MostDestructiveHumanBehaviors

*Fight,Fight,Fight:TheHistoryofHumanAggression

Imam behind NYC mosque plan sees hope after fury

AP

Shown here Dec. 7 are Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife Daisy Kahn. Rauf says he hopes to use the platform he gained through the angry debate to turn his small nonprofit group into a global movement celebrating pluralism.

NEW YORK Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf saw his plans for an Islamic center near ground zero derided as a victory mosque for terrorists, exploited as campaign fodder and used as a bargaining chip by a Florida pastor who vowed to burn the Quran.

After that summer of mistrust and raw feeling, he's looking on the bright side.

Rauf says he hopes to use the platform he gained through the angry debate to turn his small nonprofit group into a global movement celebrating pluralism.

In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Rauf said he hopes to see interfaith centers like the one he plans to include inside the downtown Manhattan Islamic center built all over the world. Each would be dedicated to fighting extremism and promoting better relations between people of different faiths and cultures.

Already, he said, he is exploring opening facilities in other American cities, as well as in Indonesia and Kosovo.

"We went to the brink, in a certain way," he said of last summer's tumult. But he added, "This crisis showed us what was possible. ... It showed us that there is actually hope. Hope for a better relationship between America and the Muslim world, both domestically and internationally."

Whether there is hope for the proposed center two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center attacks is unclear.

The superheated rhetoric of August and early September has died down, aside from the occasional downtown demonstration, and there appear to be no major governmental obstacles, but the $150 million project still remains on a slow track to construction.

The developer of the site has said groundbreaking is probably three years away. The nonprofit group that would run the center is still being established. A fundraising campaign has yet to begin. Developer Sharif El-Gamal has said he plans to borrow most of the money needed to build by selling a type of bond common in Islamic banking.

The timetable will give Rauf and his wife, the activist Daisy Khan, more time to make their case that a Muslim institution belongs at ground zero. They envision a 13- to 15-story facility with space for a health club, a day care center and playground, an auditorium for cultural events, art studios and galleries, a 9/11 memorial and a two-level prayer room with seating for a congregation of 2,000.

"We were part of the narrative of 9/11," Rauf said, noting that members of his own congregation, based about 10 blocks from the Trade Center, had been victims of the attacks.

"We have an obligation. We have a responsibility" to participate in the rebuilding of the neighborhood, he said. "This center is an anti-9/11 statement."

Convincing the country, though, hasn't been easy.

As city officials declined to block the center, critics, including many prominent Republicans, decried it as a slap in the face to the families of Sept. 11 victims. Newt Gingrich compared the center to Nazis putting a sign next to the Holocaust Museum.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and religious leaders of many faiths have been among the center's most ardent supporters. Relatives of 9/11 victims have come out on both sides.

The debate took a bizarre turn when the leader of a small Christian congregation in Florida said he would call off his plans to burn the Quran on the Sept. 11 anniversary if the Islamic center were moved farther from ground zero. Rauf agreed to nothing — not even to meet with Pastor Terry Jones — but Jones still ended up changing his mind about burning Islam's holy book.

Rauf and Khan said they have begun talking in recent weeks with more relatives of 9/11 victims in an attempt to build support for the center.

Khan said she hoped some would agree to be "part of the healing process" and help design the center's 9/11 memorial.

The couple are also trying to find a role for themselves in repairing what they see as a rift between U.S. Muslims and the nation's Christian majority.

Mere acceptance of Muslims in the U.S. is not Rauf's goal.

"It is not enough for me that you tolerate me," he explained to an audience in Jakarta last month. "I want you to love me."

The Cordoba Initiative is a pro-Western organization that sent election monitors last spring to Sudan, and Rauf has spent much of his life preaching religious tolerance and the need for people of different faiths to work together.

Rauf and Khan have kept their offices for years in the Interchurch Center, a Manhattan office tower packed with Christian religious agencies that was conceived as a space where different denominations could mingle and collaborate.

His social friends are as likely to be Jewish or Christian as they are Muslim. The Very Rev. James Morton, retired dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, recalled how his family, Rauf, Khan and a rabbi once spent 10 days together on a Mediterranean cruise.

"We went from Spain to North Africa," the Episcopal priest said — a crossing of a historic border and crossroads between the Islamic and Christian worlds. "It was a wonderful trip."

Rauf and Khan said they would prefer to spend their time talking about issues like gender equity and women's rights within Islam. Khan leads, among other things, an empowerment group that favors a more visible role for women in Muslim cultural, religious and judicial institutions.

The couple say they were shocked by the emotional nature of the opposition to the Islamic center project, and regret they did not anticipate the situation ahead of time. Yet they are also insistent that moving the facility to another location would be a mistake.

The couple's courtship of 9/11 families appears to be aimed at potentially influential fence-sitters in the debate over the center, rather than ardent critics, although Khan also recently participated in a public panel discussion with Jim Riches, a former New York City deputy fire chief whose son, Jimmy, was killed at the trade center.

"It was a true dialogue," Khan said of her appearance with Riches. "When he was speaking about his pain, I had tears in my eyes."

She said the main point she wanted to get across during their talk was that the 9/11 attacks were an epic tragedy for Muslims, too — compounded by fears of a backlash and a sense that they had been irreparably alienated from their countrymen.

"The fact that we were not allowed to participate in this tragedy, that we were shut out ... that was very traumatic for the community," she said.

Establishing a presence so close to ground zero, she said, would send a powerful message:

"We stand for peace, and peace where it matters the most."

And if the structure never gets built, due to financial problems or political difficulties?

"It certainly matters, but it will not be an impediment," Rauf said. His work will continue, although, as Khan added, "It is a lot easier to bring people together in bricks and mortar."

SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON: Stop Insulting Female Candidates and Start Playing Fair

I’ve broken a glass ceiling or two in my career. And I’ll be the first to tell you that doing so isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s virtually impossible to reach those highest goals unscathed.

In the victory speech after my first election to the Senate, I vowed to work for an America that is better for our sons and open for our daughters.

As I began my career in public service, it was perfectly clear that I would have to work exceptionally hard – harder than many of my male colleagues, in fact – to earn my spot and to even get the chance to do something important for the people who elected me.

I didn’t shy away from that hard work, and I don’t regret a single challenge. Because once you’ve earned the trust of your constituents and the respect of your colleagues, hard work pays dividends. It’s helped me better serve the people of Texas and provide for my state’s unique needs.

In the State House, in the halls of Congress, or on the rough and tumble campaign trail, for a woman, grit and determination are essential. Hard work is a given. And we’re up to the challenge.

Many have called 2010 “The Year of the Woman.” Indeed, next week the names of more than 160 women will appear on congressional and gubernatorial ballots across the country. There are so many bright, qualified female candidates from different walks of life who aspire to serve their communities and are ready to tackle the hefty challenges our nation faces today.

I have watched many of these women’s campaigns with great interest. But what has surprised and troubled me is that, even in 2010, desperately low tactics are being employed, including baseless attacks and charges aimed to discredit them as candidates by demeaning them as women.

Gender-targeted slurs and attacks, such as those slung at Meg Whitman, Sharron Angle, Nikki Haley, and even Hillary Clinton in 2008, are indefensible. No woman who has put herself and her family on the line in pursuit of higher office should expect to endure such insults.

There is no place for disparity and disrespect in politics today. The political process should not punish women or hold them to different standards, but instead be open for them to reach their goals.

When I was growing up, it was never even considered that a girl would aspire to be elected governor or senator. I am enormously proud of the fact that girls today have that option and that there are so many tremendous women role models to inspire them. I hope that those who consider disrespect and debasement fair game on the campaign trail will be mindful of the message that sends to our nation’s daughters.

After all these years, women are not asking for special treatment – simply equal treatment. Go ahead, ask us the hard questions. Test our effectiveness. Make us earn the right to represent our communities. We are not afraid of hard work, and we relish a good challenge. But, if we’re going to benefit from 100 percent of our nation’s talent, keep it fair.

Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison represents Texas in the U.S. Senate.