It gave the Whig Party a unifying message of denouncing the war as an immoral act of aggression carried out through abuse of power by the president.

"I am convinced it's a unifying message to talk about the lack of affordable housing in this city, the crisis in public schools, the crisis in after-school programs," he said.

If there's a unifying message, it's one of courage.

It incorporates and blends historical documents from Holy Bible and Holy Quran and focuses on the unifying message of the life of Jesus and his teachings.

The political and social change roiling the Communist world is akin to the upheaval in the United States during the early 1970's, he said, which makes the unifying message of the old commercial timely again.

His efforts to offer a unifying message without seeming to neglect black voters mirror recent discussions in the campaigns of Gov. Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts and Senator Obama.

In the absence of a unifying message, divisive issues like abortion can loom large.

Indeed, he is so even-handed that some readers may miss a unifying message, but the book is as complex as the subject warrants.

"His failure as governor is a unifying message among moderates and conservatives."

The party is still struggling for a unifying message.