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10 Jan 2012 13:39

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Politics: Todd Palin gives his opinion, but does anyone actually care?

  • Our guess is: not likely. Ever wanted to know who Todd Palin is giving his political support to? We didn’t think so. Although his wife still hasn’t announced who she’ll endorse in the 2012 election, Todd is banking on Newt Gingrich. Great? Sarah said that she’s “still in that process with probably 70 percent of Americans trying to decide.” Great. source

09 Jan 2012 12:36

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Politics: Rick Santorum and the culture wars: How he’s standing out

  • So why has he struck such a chord among GOP voters and progressives alike? Why have videos exposing his racial biases and anti-gay attitudes gone viral and inspired hashtags? It’s simple: Even in a recession, social issues like sex and race are extremely resonant. And Santorum is the only candidate talking about them.
  • Good Magazine Associate Editor Nona Willis Aronowitz • Opining on exactly why Rick Santorum made a comeback in an era where his brand of social conservatism was starting to look old-hat. Essentially, because he’s the only person seriously discussing these issues, he stands out. But it goes further, Aronowitz notes: “The Santorum hubbub is a reminder that the issues we hold dear — issues of sex and race and civil rights — are absolutely recession-proof.” (Related: This Patch video, in which a heckler asks Santorum if he would abort a gay baby. Ah, campaign trail politics. Thanks John Ness for that tip.) source

08 Jan 2012 11:44

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Politics: “No Child Left Behind” turns 10, education experts want to leave it behind

  • It is time to acknowledge this failure and adopt a more effective course for the federal role in education. Policymakers must abandon their faith-based embrace of test-and-punish strategies and, instead, pursue proven alternatives to guide and support the nation’s neediest schools and students.
  • A policy assessment written by Lisa Guisbond, Monty Neill and Bob Schaeffer • Suggesting that No Child Left Behind, the Bush-era education law passed under bipartisan circumstances, should go the way of the dodo. The policy, now seen as an example of ineffective government overreach by many, celebrates its 10th birthday today, and politicians who once supported the law — including Rick Santorum, who voted for it and tried to push an intelligent design amendment into the bill — no longer do. Guisbond, Neill and Schaeffer’s report, which suggests revisiting the law based on the lessons learned from the past decade, is available to read over heresource

07 Jan 2012 17:15

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Politics: Rand Paul: I’ll support the GOP candidate, but my dad would be better

  • I will support the Republican nominee, because I think they will be better. But I think it will be marginally better and — I am little bit biased in this — I think Ron Paul would be dramatically better.
  • Sen. Rand Paul • Offering full support for the GOP candidate, whoever it is, even if he doesn’t follow the same fully-libertarian path as his dad Ron. He’s not big on the idea of his dad running as an independent: “I’ve always been in favor of the Tea Party being part of making the Republican Party more conservative rather than trying to do our own thing,” he claimed in New Hampshire today. source

06 Jan 2012 20:13

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Politics: Ron Paul disavows offensive Jon Huntsman-bashing ad

  • “China Jon.” Need we say more? A warning to all that the message in this video is fairly offensive towards Asians, but it’s worth noting that, though the person who released it goes by the YouTube handle “NHLiberty4Paul,” Paul himself is against the ad. For those not watching, the ad makes reference to Huntsman’s adoptive daughters (from China) and shows the presidential candidate speaking in Mandarin Chinese. “I haven’t look at it, but I understand it’s an ugly ad, and I’ve disavowed it,” Paul said. “Obviously, it was way, way out order.” (EDIT: Apologies for the incorrect video at first — our wi-fi crapped out at the exact wrong time.) source

05 Jan 2012 22:53

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Politics: Kennedy comeback? A new generation plans a Congressional run

  • A family legacy continues: A Kennedy has held a high position of power in D.C for 63 years – until the passing of Edward Kennedy in 2009 and the retirement of his son Patrick in 2011. Joseph P. Kennedy III has decided to run for Congress to fill the gap. The Spanish-speaking Stanford and Harvard Law graduate hopes to fill the Congressional seat of Barney Frank. He’ll have some big shoes to fill, in more ways than one. source

04 Jan 2012 20:45

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Politics: Sen. John McCain endorses Mitt Romney for President

  • Not much of a shock, we admit. After all, it was last night that news broke that Senator John McCain, the GOP’s standard-bearer in the last presidential election, would be throwing his support behind Mitt Romney (who really hasn’t stopped campaigning for the top job since McCain beat him those years ago). You may recall that in 2008, McCain suffered somewhat for a strained and kind of awkward manner, and this video conjures those memories — he sounds like he’s really working hard to muster some enthusiasm in support of his old, bitter rival. source
 

04 Jan 2012 10:51

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Politics: Obama: Forget Congress; Richard Cordray’s my consumer agency chief!

Obama named Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a recess appointment while Congress was out of town. Some feel Cordray’s stalled nomination was less about Congress’ dislike of Cordray but their hatred of Dodd-Frank. source

04 Jan 2012 10:41

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Politics: Ron Paul says his Iowa Caucus success comes from youth vote focus

  • Republicans are going to be neglectful if they say: ‘Oh, you don’t need Independents, you don’t need the young people.’ That’s where the excitement is, and that’s where the changes are coming about.
  • Ron Paul • Speaking this morning on NBC’s Today Show in the wake of the Iowa Caucuses, which he placed third in — and despite the relatively tight race between Romney and Santorum, he was fairly close to the front of the pack. It was a solid enough result that he has no plans to quit the race. Paul’s strategy has long banked on the youth vote. “That’s how you would have to beat Obama, so I think that’s a very encouraging statistic,” he said. Paul will take a little break in Iowa, then head to New Hampshire. source

04 Jan 2012 10:23

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Politics: Bachmann to drop out this morning, “doesn’t see a way forward”

  • While she remained confident last night, it sounds like the Tea Party stalwart could be ready to let realism set in. On top of canceling a trip to South Carolina, Michele Bachmann has a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. EST (which we’ll cover), but The National Journal got a bit of a preview this morning: A campaign spokesperson says Bachmann “doesn’t see a way forward in her campaign for the GOP nomination for president and will make an announcement to that effect this morning.” He stopped short of saying she’d be dropping out, but there are certainly lines to read between here. Update: The National Journal is now saying that Bachmann will suspend her campaign. Wow, that was fast. (Photo via Gage Skidmore on Flickr) source