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21 Sep 2010 12:43

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Politics, U.S.: Sen. Susan Collins votes her conscience. Just kidding!

  • then Susan Collins, the moderate Republican Senator from Maine, previously voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell when the bill was in committee.
  • now Collins still opposes the policy, but because Sen. Harry Reid, the Majority leader, won’t allow unlimited amendments on the bill, she’ll be filibustering the repeal effort.
  • “I think it’s the right thing to do.” That’s how Collins feels about repealing DADT, the controversial policy that prohibits openly gay citizens from serving in the military; ending it is “only fair,” she said today. But Reid is limiting the number of amendments that can be added to the bill containing the repeal, and so she’s voting against it. Funny; if you think the bill does “the right thing,” shouldn’t the procedural stuff be a secondary consideration? After all, you came to the Senate to enact effective policy, not uphold Senate procedure. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 2 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 11:02

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Politics: Stewart and Colbert’s rallies somehow scaring Democrats

  • A lot of people on campus are going. I’m planning to attend it, too. Right now I don’t think we’re worried about an effect on GOTV. The rally is Saturday; Halloween is Sunday. We’re still going to vote on Tuesday.
  • Georgetown University College Democrats spokesperson William Vogt • Suggesting the Democrats’ worst fears – that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s dueling rallies will affect “get out the vote” efforts on the weekend before the election. Dave Weigel, writing about the phenomenon for Slate, seems skeptical. “The Democratic panic is out of whack,” he writes. “Stewart’s rally will attract two kinds of people: The liberals who weren’t going to GOTV anyway, and the liberals who needed this final jolt to reconnect with their elitism.” We’re with him. It’s going to be tough for the Democrats this year, no matter where their voters are on October 30th. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:51

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Politics: Group: Tea party, GOP conspiring against Wisconsin voters

  • what A group called One Wisconsin Now claims that the state’s GOP and Tea Party plan to disenfranchise voters using a process called “voter caging.” They also claim to have proof of conspiracy in the form of audio.
  • how Basically, they claim that those involved will use a list of people whose mail was marked as undeliverable to prevent them from voting on election day and to create unbearably long lines. How true is this, anyway? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:37

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Politics: Christine O’Donnell’s money problems lead to FEC complaint

O’Donnell has unique financial problems. She hasn’t had a steady job in years and apparently used campaign funds to pay $20,000 in rent and other personal expenses. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:24

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Politics: John McCain plans to hold defense bill hostage over “Don’t Ask”

  • This is turning legislation related to our national defense and military preparedness into a vehicle to force a partisan agenda through the Senate, often on a party-line vote. Their desperation – because they see a Nov. 2 election coming up – is palpable.
  • Sen. John McCain • On his plans to filibuster the defense bill wending its way through the Senate because it includes a measure to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” While McCain and the rest of his family supports repealing the measure, along with three-quarters of Americans, he feels that it should be done after the Pentagon completes its review of the impact the change would have on the military. Democrats are unsure if they have the 60 votes to override McCain’s appeal. They also claim he’s playing politics. Funny, because he claims they are. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:09

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Biz: Housing starts get boost in August after some crappy months

  • 10.5% boost in housing starts in August source
  • » Why this is really good: Because housing starts just went through a couple of very crappy months. In the aftermath of the end of the homebuyer tax credit, housing starts plunged in May and June at record rates. While early, this suggests that housing is starting to recover on its own. That said, both single-family and multifamily housing starts are near 50-year lows.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:01

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Tech: Don’t Mouseover! Twitter nailed by nasty security exploit

  • Protip: Avoid using the Web client for Twitter for a little while. A big bug has managed to bring Twitter to its knees using the onMouseOver Javascript function, meaning it works by simply tapping your mouse over it by accident. Twitter is on the case and the exploit should be patched soon. Still, though. … Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Sep 2010 09:50

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World: In India, Commonwealth Games bridge falls down, goes boom

HOLY CRAP. You mean we have to rebuild this pedestrian bridge for an event happening in a FREAKING MONTH? Man, we’re so not prepared for this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 09:44

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World: Afghan helicopter crash leads to record NATO deaths in 2010

  • 9 NATO troops died in today’s deadly Afghan helicopter crash source
  • 529 NATO troops have died in combat so far this year
  • 521 NATO troops died last year, which is now the old record
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Sep 2010 21:22

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U.S.: Obvious study: Cell phones a deadly distraction for drivers

  • goodDeaths in car accidents are down in general – around 22 percent in the last four years alone.
  • bad Around 18 percent of all distracting-driving deaths are due to cell phone usage. Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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